If repeal is warranted

The Affordable Care Act increases access to health insurance for Americans, but does little to control costs. At around $ 10,000 a year per capita, America spends two to three times as much on health care as other well- todo countries. And for all that money we receive fewer doctor visits and suffer higher death rates.

Now that the fight to repeal “Obamacare” is over, we should find ways to lower costs.

The outrageously high prices Americans pay for prescription drugs is no accident. For 30 years administrations of both parties have enacted bad legislation to give the pharmaceutical industry unfair advantage and raise prices: 1987, ban on re- importation of prescription drugs; 1997, direct to consumer adverting permitted, 2003, Medicare prohibited from bargaining on drug prices; 2010, patent rights extended for prescription drugs.

If somebody wants to repeal something, they should repeal those four laws— tomorrow— and the prices we pay for prescription medicine would come way down closer to where they should be. And I think most Americans agree with me.

People have strong feelings for their own political party. But in this case I think it’s clear that both parties are responsible for causing this problem.

We become better people and more able to get past the rough spots when we own our mistakes. I believe we’re all a lot more alike than different. And I know we get more accomplished working together than we do fighting among ourselves.

OWEN REIN Mountain View