Finding a healthcare cure

Re “Clinton lays out new healthcare overhaul,” Sept. 18

Sen. Hillary Clinton’s healthcare plan looks like more triangulation to appease voters and her insurance and pharmaceutical industry donors. The only bold statement being made is John Edwards’ proposal that Congress and high-ranking government officials lose their healthcare until a universal plan is enacted. We as a society need to realize that insurance companies are not the solution when it comes to healthcare but the problem. They need to be taken out of the equation before any real progress can be made.

Henry Olivas

Monrovia

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Re “Clinton’s healthy shot,” Opinion, Sept. 19

Ronald Brownstein examines Sen. Hillary Clinton’s healthcare plans past and present. Among all the proposals advocated by the presidential candidates, hers probably has the best chance to succeed. But even her proposals are falling short of a real solution. As far as health insurance is concerned, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. And no proposal can improve on the many health insurance systems proved successful in other countries. Canada is the nearest example, Britain another, and Germany has had a well-functioning healthcare system since before 1900. There are many other worthwhile systems to copy, all more cost-efficient and far superior to our current low-quality care or to any of the current new proposals. All candidates seem to be afraid for one reason: single payer.

Bruno Schmidt

Calabasas