Advertisement
Letter: Addressing health care: Think outside
Op-Ed · April 13, 2017


The West Branch public forum with Representative Bobby Kaufmann on April 8th, gave voters an opportunity to speak out.


I believe we are at our best when we come together, listen and think about solutions. Rep. Kaufmann touched upon Iowa’s challenges to find beds and services for mental health patients, but the larger issue was not addressed: Where are we going in regards to a health care plan for Iowa? Can we begin to sketch out a plan for what we want in our state?

The models are out there. I recall the single payer health care plan from the Clinton administration in 1993, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s health plan enacted in 2006 with the goal to cover all Massachusetts residents with basic health care. The Affordable Care Act adopted features of Romney’s plan. There is Canada’s Medicare whose history began in 1947 when Saskatchewan adopted universal health care. The plan grew to cover all Canadians. How do we as a state and country care for ourselves from conception to death? Sadly during his campaign, president-elect Trump did not think this question was as deep and complex as it always has been. United States citizens pay the most per person for health care and yet we rank under western European nations and Japan for life expectancy. Our children five years and under have a higher death rate compared to these same countries.

Making America great for me means to have the courage to think outside the box, confront our prejudices about who deserves what and to value our humanity.

Sincerely,

Helen Kudos

West Branch