Letter: Socializing medicine is not the solution

How do compassionate, fiscally and ethically responsible capitalists approach health care? By knowing the price of goods and services up front and choosing what to purchase. By competition that drives market prices to affordable levels that the market can bear.

Do something radical — pull out the insurance factor. Reserve insurance for once-in-a-lifetime, catastrophic medical incidents. Have the government require pricing disclosure for health care services and medications. The manufacturers and doctors would have to deal with real money earned by real neighbors and not inflated, give us your firstborn prices. Create sliding scales to provide quality care for all. Create a universal, portable records system to eliminate duplication of services and waste between provider networks.

Socializing medicine is not the solution. Reasonable prices for services rendered and keeping costs down so people can afford to go to the doctor, get an MRI, EKG or epipen, stay overnight or for a week at the hospital, have a surgical procedure, get a stent, and deliver a baby are market-based solutions. Provide an option for taxpayers to designate a percentage of their tax dollars to go towards medical education and research and allow us to contribute voluntarily to health care innovation.

This story was originally published July 29, 2017 at 7:44 PM with the headline "Letter: Socializing medicine is not the solution."