In response to the May 8 Public Forum letter from Bart Jacobs titled, “Medicare for All is a bad idea.”
The characterization that the Veterans Administration is a good example of what Medicare for All would look like is absolutely wrong, and could be construed as fearmongering.
My comments are by no means intended to denigrate the V.A. system. The V.A. owns and operates its own hospitals and clinics. The physicians, nurses and staff who work at these facilities are largely V.A. employees.
As millions of satisfied seniors will attest, Medicare is a relatively affordable insurance system that allows its participants to be seen by their own private physicians and be treated in privately owned and operated hospitals. In fact, traditional Medicare is much less restrictive than almost all employer sponsored health insurance plans.
I strongly suspect that if Medicare is made available to the general population, individuals and companies who choose to remain privately insured will be allowed to do so. Insurance companies will continue to sell Medicare Advantage, Medigap and, most likely, employer-sponsored health insurance policies.
With our changing economy, employer-sponsored health care benefits are no longer a tenable means for providing health care coverage for many working Americans. Economically, the increased number of patients being properly cared for will largely offset the discounted fees for their care.
The net result of making Medicare available to all will be a decrease in health care costs per patient and improved health care outcomes.
Todd Troxell, Salt Lake City
