Don't trust insurers on health care issue

The argument over health care is being hijacked by the health-care insurers who fear a significant loss of revenue if a government/public sponsored plan or a single-payer plan is successfully implemented. Others are using the costs of a single-payer or government-sponsored plan as a scare tactic by suggesting the plan will cost billions of dollars.

The argument put forth by the private insurers is lame at best. They say our health-care system is one of the best in the world, if you can afford the insurance. They pose the rhetorical question, "Do you want the government to run your health insurance?" I would pose the question, "Why trust the private sector to run health insurance?" They are in it for the profit and nothing else. This is the same private sector greed that has most recently lead to a recession.

Recent insurance industry sponsored television ads suggest the insurance industry can save billions in costs by using electronic medical records. So, why haven't they already done that?

And what about the costs? Well, if U.S. businesses no longer have to pay the premiums for their employee health care, won't they save billions? And where do you suppose those billions will go? Stockholder profits? CEO executive pay? Why not earmark some of those savings for the payment of a national plan? Why should the argument only be about raising taxes on the individual taxpayers?

Here's the real bottom line - do you really want insurance executives making life and death decisions about your health? Maybe just this once, Congress will act in the interest of the people instead of their big money donors.

Follow the PAC money trail to find out.

R. Kent Clark

Wheeling