Letter to the Editor

Fixing U.S. healthcare

Mark Twain said, "It¹s not what you don't know that kills you, it's what you know for sure that ain't true." Republicans learned this the hard way with the collapse of their proposed Obamacare replacement. Falling for their own propaganda at times, Republicans assumed that Americans would embrace their new proposal. But when the day was done, public support for their plan stood at just 17 percent while Obamacare's approval numbers hit new highs. The words from an old '70's song proved prophetic. "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone."

When faced with losing Obamacare, many recipients had a change of heart. Republicans mistakenly assumed that all opponents of Obamacare were equal. But 17 percent of those opposing the program did so because they didn't think it went far enough. The new President for his part grossly underestimated the complexity of healthcare. Obamacare was a finger in the dike operation. It prevented our healthcare system from totally collapsing. But it was in no way a permanent fix. Both political parties must be made to understand that the real problem with American healthcare is outrages costs, driven by the greed of prescription drug companies, durable medical equipment suppliers, and healthcare providers among others. Graft is rampant within the system as well. Lawmakers from both parties must wean themselves from industry lobbyists, get rid of extremist partisan wingnuts, sit down together, and fix the causes, or the problems will continue to fester.

WILL RICHARDSON, Jackson