Use brains, hearts in health care matters

Use brains, hearts in health care matters

The Dec. 29 editorial by editor Jim Davis really spoke to me. As an older person, much older than the "Man who eschewed surgery," I'm so in sync with the man mentioned and have long realized that we old people take so much of the health care dollar, there won't be enough for those coming after us.

Some older people are healthy and give of their energy and empathy to help make this a better world. But when we have to sit and twiddle our thumbs, it seems to me that life would not be worth living. Len Brauer expressed this so well.

On the same day, Ron Mengarelli wrote a letter to the editor that spoke to the same issue, the cost of our health system. It is so true that we refuse to face the fact that all other developed countries have single payer health care at half the cost. This would eliminate the greedy insurance companies that raise the cost yearly. Before the Affordable Health Care Act, millions were left without health care as they couldn't afford it. This act is certainly not perfect, but is a temporary fix. He states the fact that "health care in the last six months of life consumes more health care costs than people incur throughout their lifetimes."

Nothing in life is perfect but those of us who have had health care can't stick our heads in the sand and forget those who haven't been so blessed.

Let us start this New Year by using our brains and hearts.

Sheila T. Burris

Elgin