Editorial lacked substance

I read with interest The Seattle Times editorial on Nov. 2 titled “Health-care reform, a good prognosis” [Opinion], but must take exception to most of what was said and lack of substance.

The editorial board apparently wish to convince readers everything with the proposed legislation is just fine. It isn’t, and it is poor journalism to lead readers to believe the contrary.

The Wall Street Journal ran an editorial titled “The Worst Bill Ever” regarding the same issue. It deals with the issues in the proposed legislation that are truly worth worrying about, including the fact we probably can’t afford it.

It is lazy to laud Rep. Jay Inslee and Sen. Maria Cantwell about their contribution, when the reality is the legislation as a whole will result in a tax increase for everyone.

We need people on Capitol Hill who are concerned about the country, and not their party. We could also use some journalism with some substance.

— Dennis Dickert, Kenmore

Problem is government, not private insurers

Matthew McBrady’s guest commentary regarding health care has it all wrong that the public option is the answer to providing low-cost universal medical insurance [“Insurance companies and the public option,” Opinion, Nov. 2].

The problem has been the government, not the private insurers and the market they serve. The overconsumption McBrady describes in part has been caused by the government allowing businesses to pay for their employees’ medical insurance as part of a deal to freeze wages during World War II.

This third-party pay scheme never ended, but instead grew. And until now because of overconsumption, premiums have dramatically increased.

The same dilemma confronts Medicare, which according to its board of trustees will become insolvent in 2017. In this case, Medicare has experienced overconsumption and massive examples of fraudulent billing.

The answer to the issue of universal medical coverage at an affordable price is to re-establish the direct connection between the consumer and medical providers with high-deductible health savings accounts, and an insurance market that offers the consumer a wide variety of choices, not government regulated.

Those people who are poor should be financially assisted by the government to pay for either the deductibles or the premiums.

— Bob Dorse, Seattle