Letter: Health care issues will not go away

Health care is one of those issues that will not go away. We also know how the controversy will end. Eventually, the United States, like every advanced nation, will adopt universal health care. The only question is: how much suffering and death will occur in the meantime.

The Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) was an attempt to move the country in that direction. In response, Republicans have undermined it, including cutting off sources of funding, obstructing the signup process, and promoting substandard insurance policies, thereby sabotaging health care for millions of Americans. One marvels at the malevolence shown by these right-wing partisans.

However, rising costs demand a holistic approach to health care that only a national system can provide. The idea that marketplace competition will magically reduce these costs is absurd. If it could happen, it would have happened by now. Drug companies raise prices, sometimes unconscionably. The competition that does occur tends to raise rather than lower prices. This includes redundancy of medical equipment and facilities. This leads to unnecessary tests on unnecessary equipment.

Christine Brown will be your independent voice in Congress. She takes no large donations, is beholden to no one except her constituents and will make health care a top priority.