Medicare for all

Regarding “House GOP revises health care plan; Trump rallies support outside capital” (Page A11, Tuesday), as part of their campaign to repeal and replace Obamacare, President Trump and congressional Republicans often point to states that have only one insurance provider and the cost of health care policies in those states. But they fail to mention that Medicare, the government-run program for Americans over 65, does not face the same problems in those states.

One of the problems with Obamacare is that it gives too much power to the independent insurance companies. Unlike Medicare, the insurance companies decide which regions of the country they want to participate in and set the rates for the policies and the deductibles.

If Trump and the GOP are serious about improving health care for millions of Americans, especially those living in states where the insurance companies have decided not to compete, they would amend the Affordable Care Act to include a government option that is tied to the rates in the Medicare program.

Doctors and hospitals throughout the country accept Medicare for people over 65. There is no reason the program cannot be extended to include people under 65, especially in regions of the country where the insurance companies have decided not to offer competitive policies. Bill Meyer, Kingwood