Private-Sector Health System Is a Basket Case

Re “Fixing a Sick Health System,” column, Nov. 28: Steve Lopez told us of the tragic case of a cancer victim who is unable to get adequate medical care.

This tragedy could apply to 45 million Americans who do not have and cannot afford health insurance, a national disgrace of inhuman proportions.

We must be ashamed that a family must resort to bake sales, garage sales and begging to help pay for care.

In all of the articles discussing this issue, those who oppose a “single-payer” proposal, or a variation of that, which would provide universal healthcare, always use the cliche, “No one wants the government to dictate how to provide healthcare to us Americans.” That presumes that the private sector can and will solve this problem.

That sector has been responsible for that for decades, and if the current situation is a product of their efforts, then shouldn’t we hold “them” accountable? And shouldn’t we and they admit that their system has failed miserably and that theirs is a failure of a “nongovernmental” effort?

Rather than having “no care” for 45 million Americans, I think those folks would rather have “some care,” even if the government gets involved.

Harry Shragg MD

Los Angeles