Opinion: The benefits of Medicare for all extend beyond universal healthcare

To the editor: Thanks to David Lazarus for reporting on a bill to replace the Affordable Care Act with a “Medicare for all” alternative that would bring us up to par with other industrialized nations. (“Looking for a really good Obamacare replacement? Here it is,” Feb. 3)

There are aspects of this plan that rarely get discussed. Imagine what it would be like for employers to unload the burden of paying for health insurance. Workers’ compensation policies would no longer be necessary. Medical portions of auto insurance could be eliminated since everyone would already be covered.

Certainly, the insurance industry would not be happy. Yet how much longer must we be held captive to its increasing rates and declining quality of product?

Tom McGee, Oxnard

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To the editor: Calling for a single-payer healthcare system based on Medicare ignores the fact that Medicare relies on the much larger pool of private healthcare plans to make up for shortfalls in the rates of reimbursement.

Because of low Medicare reimbursement rates, many doctors no longer accept it. We were able to remain with our long time doctor when we transitioned to Medicare only because he “grandfathered” us in; he does not accept new Medicare patients.

Moving to a healthcare system where the government decides the value of the services will drive doctors to provide a level of care commensurate with the payment received. Will Americans settle for a model that is more heavily weighted to reduce cost than elevate the excellence of care?

And where will we get all the foreign doctors willing to work for Medicare-like levels of payment?

Edward Hull, Seal Beach

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To the editor: I think we could expand Americans’ lifespans by simply not stressing out about paying for our healthcare. Having to rely on GoFundMe campaigns to cover the medical costs for ourselves and loved ones is a shameful example of how our healthcare system does not work.

Some might call “Medicare for all” socialism; I call it compassionate.

Celeste Demetor, Yorba Linda

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