US healthcare system is poor, at best

US healthcare system pales compared to other nations

To the editor:

Some months ago, I wrote a letter about Republicans being on the wrong side of nine key issues ("Nine reasons to never vote Republican," July 18).

I was hoping to start a discussion about why people vote for Republicans, but no one replied. So, I'd like to pick one of these issues and see if anyone wants to comment from a Republican point of view.

In the richest country in the world, why don't we have a universal healthcare system like virtually every developed country has?

Some vital stats to think about:

1. We typically pay anywhere from two to three times more, per capita, than other countries for healthcare.

2. We rank 47th in the world in life expectancy. (Cuba, a poor country that we have isolated from global trade, ranks 45th.)

3. 85 million people in the United States have no health insurance or are under insured.

4. Over 500,000 people had to file for bankruptcy last year due to medical debt.

5. 38% of the U.S. population chose to forgo medical services last year due to our high costs.

6. A Fox News poll found that 72% of Americans want a government-run healthcare system.

7. In 2021, healthcare companies spent $700 million lobbying Congress to keep the status quo.

Anyone have an comments?

Paul Peckham

Plainville