Health care is better elsewhere

If our democracy were functional, the proposed health care reforms would pass easily. Among various benefits, passing these reforms would save the average American about $2,200 or more annually, whereas not passing it would save millionaires money.

The House bill currently under consideration states that those who make $250,000 annually should help pay for the reform. One way to effect this is to roll back Bush's tax cuts that were designed to benefit the very rich. We are the only democracy in the world that allows the financial interests of private insurance companies to trump the life and welfare of 300 million citizens.

As a result, Americans pay more than twice the per capita health care cost of any other nation while achieving an embarrassing low outcome. Currently, the U.S. ranks 37th in the world in term of health results, not to mention leaving almost 50 million people without any insurance.

Contrary to all the lies that are being spread, the so-called "public option" would be similar to our Medicare and Veteran's Care and would require premiums to be paid. Those programs are strongly supported by those who benefit from them. No one would be required to choose the public option.

The bottom line is that the health care provided in all the other Western democracies is far more efficient, effective, fair, equitable, and more humane and less restrictive than our private for-profit health care system.

Lanlan Hoo

Wheaton