U.S. should provide basic medical coverage to all

Ask anyone who has sold insurance about getting people to part with cash for the intangible of coverage of any sort. When do people want insurance? After the accident of course.

While it is clear socialized medicine is lurking on the horizon, other points of concern are now obvious. Affordable insurance at any price is not being purchased by those for whom it is intended. Without discretionary income, nothing is affordable.

If citizens pay penalties at tax time for not having insurance, and are afforded care, they will not buy insurance. The penalties levied by the IRS are at least a year away assuming they are enforced at that time. The penalty is assuredly less than the deductible. A huge segment of our population, insured or not, operates outside of the IRS realm and pays no taxes at all, ever. There is no threat of an IRS fine if your income is "invisible" or below the poverty level.

I believe a nation of our stature can provide basic medical coverage to all citizens who operate within the law and are here legally. Those who want top-shelf service should be able to obtain it if they are willing to pay for it as they do now. In order to obtain basic medical coverage, U.S. citizens must pay taxes/file a return, vote and graduate high school or obtain a GED. Nothing for nothing.

Brian DeValk

Palatine