Emotional policies

Jonathan Baird’s latest column on Medicare for all is another example of progressive emotional response to a complex issue (Monitor Forum, Oct. 6). His conclusions ignore facts, rely on talking points and do not take into account consequences of single-payer.

Baird wrote: “Under the Affordable Care Act, more than 17 million Americans have gained health insurance.” What he omits is that the average deductible before Obamacare kicks in is $6,092 for an individual and $12,393 for a family (Bronze Plan, Healthcare.gov). The premiums for those plans run more than a house payment for most families whether they are subsidized or not. That is neither health “care” nor “progress.”

Canadian and British single-payer rely on rationing of covered services and the slowing of services. Recent studies reveal that the median wait time in Canada is 20 weeks, up from 9.3 in 1993. Imagine telling a cancer or heart patient that they can’t have a life-saving drug or treatment because it costs too much or to wait until they can be seen while their illness progresses.

The oft repeated claim that Medicare administrative costs are less is disingenuous, according to Milliman Consulting, which researched and found that costs are higher. In 2015, Medicare fraud was $712 million for 43 million enrollees. How much would that be for 300 million enrollees?

Baird sources the Kaiser Family Foundation, as unreliable as the Southern Poverty Law Center, Brennan Center or Annenberg Center, all progressive think tanks.

What we need is affordable health care, not non-reversible, unaffordable lifetime entitlements crafted through emotion.

BILL BUNKER

Barnstead