Rod Blum: Fact or fiction?

I saw a television ad supporting U.S. Rep. Rod Blum in which the narrator's purpose seems to be to scare 1st Congressional District voters by connecting U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Abby Finkenauer, Blum's Democratic opponent. Pelosi and Finkenauer should be feared because they may want Medicare for all, which, according to the ad, would put private insurance companies out of business.

Fact: On July 30, 1965, Democratic President Johnson signed a law creating Medicare. On Dec. 8, 2003, Republican President Bush signed the Medicare Modernization Act, which created Medicare Part D. Lawyers and lobbyists got the insurance companies what they wanted, approval and recognication of Medicare Advantage Plans created by private insurance companies and sold to the public. So, 52 years after its beginning, there are 58.5 million people with Medicare, many through private insurers.

Fact: With 28.1 million people without health insurance, expanding Medicare for all or Medicare Advantage for all would create a minimum of 28 million new customers; making sure the insurance companies are in business for a long time.

If putting insurance companies out of business is fiction, what this the real reason for not wanting all people to have health insurance?

I ask all voters in the 1st District to please do yourself a favor and vote for Finkenauer.

William R. Mundt

Oelwein

' Editor's Note:

Due to an abundance of election-related community letters and limited newspaper space, some are being published only online in an effort to include as many voices as possible.