Why do we tolerate a healthcare system that’s a failure for millions?

We’re the wealthiest nation on earth and are the only industrialized nation that doesn’t provide basic healthcare to its citizens. Our insurance system is also broken––it denies or cancels people based upon preexisting conditions, getting ill, using their benefits and their wealth.

We don’t compare well against other industrialized nations.

According to studies cited by Fox News and others, Americans are more dissatisfied with their healthcare than other nations including Canada and Great Britain (including facing longer waits for care). While we spend much more on healthcare––2 ½ times the average––we are below average in most care statistics including life expectancy and deaths due to delays in care.

We let ourselves be distracted by scare tactics such as:

•“Death panels,” which refer to voluntary private meetings between patients and their physicians to discuss advanced health directives. Rush Limbaugh advertises for them; Sara Palin declared April 16, 2008, as a special day for them; Newt Gingrich said Americans should use them, and if Medicare patients did, the U.S. would save $33 billion a year.

•“Socialism.” No, some of the proposed plans have government paying your own private doctors and hospitals for care decided upon by you and your doctor.

•“Service cuts to seniors.” No. Savings in how doctors and hospitals are paid are proposed for Medicare. Republicans have been demanding massive “savings” for years.

America, where’s our pride, our belief in ourselves that we can and should be the best, not just in spending but in providing the world’s best healthcare system for all Americans?

Maybe all of us who profess to be Christians should remember the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) bracelets that were in vogue a few years ago.

If we had thought about healthcare then, there would be no healthcare discussion today.

All Americans would be receiving quality healthcare now. Chris Soltow Thousand Oaks