Health-care crisis? This subject is being hotly contested with politicians promising a solution before the November elections.
In a recent editorial, Paul Harvey cleared the air on this debate by exposing the results of a government-run health system. In 1921, our government set up the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. During the 70-plus years of operation, the VA has grown into the largest health-care system in America. And what are the results of this government 100 percent owned and 100 percent operated health-care system? Nine out of 10 veterans choose to pay for private health care rather than utilize "free" VA care.There are also other issues that are disturbing with the Clinton health-care plan - a computer card that controls our access to medical care and would contain our complete medical history, government selecting not only which doctors we see but when we see them, and if we try to circumvent the doctor selection and or the waiting period, we and the doctor would face criminal penalties.
Our present health-care system is not perfect and there are areas that could be improved - for example, medical IRA savings accounts, more leniency with pre-existing conditions, limits on medical malpractice suits, etc. Before they vote, let's tell our representatives we don't have a health-care crisis, and we don't in any way want to give up more of our freedoms to gain the "right" to have "free" government controlled health care.
Ralph Westberg
Pleasant Grove