Do the math

Dear editor:

Two months ago a letter of mine addressing United States health care was published in this column. And now, the subject is again a hot topic in Congress, with Republicans making one last stab to abolish the Affordable Care Act, called Obamacare. It will be given a minute and a half for debate in the Senate, so that this bill can be rushed through before the end of September, after which it will take 60 votes to repeal, instead of the current 51.

In my previous letter, I suggested that a team from Congress visit Switzerland and study how their government, in cooperation with private health insurance companies, established a universal health care program at half the price of ours.

I had also expressed that 20 developed countries deliver universal health care at less than half the cost of our private insurance model. Since, I have learned it’s more like 36 countries do this. Shame on us! What could be a more noble and honorable stance of our “national” government than to ensure all Americans have health care?

Let’s do some math! The U.S. economy, the largest in the world, is $18,560 trillion per annum. Our health care program consumes one-sixth of that figure, or $3,070 trillion. If, like in those 35/36 other countries, we could offer health care at half that figure, our health care would then cost

$1.53 trillion, saving a like amount. Can you imagine how many other programs $1.53 trillion could fund? That $1.53 trillion is twice what we spend on our military! Our country’s infrastructure of roads, bridges, airports, etc., could be upgraded dramatically, thus creating millions of new jobs. No wonder we’re carrying a $18 trillion debt!

We’ve been discussing American health care needs ever since Teddy Roosevelt over

100 years ago! Its time to wake up and get on the ball!

Harold Davis Hot Springs