Ban private health insurance

If, as this newspaper and our state believes, “It’s time to ban private prisons” (Editorial, Aug. 12), then why not advocate a ban for private health insurance?

If the notion of inmates as commodities instead of human beings is appalling in the world of forprofit prisons, can’t the same argument be made regarding forprofit insurance companies that charge unaffordable monthly premiums and require high deductible payments? I’m with 2020 Democratic presidential candidates like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, who are advocating for universal health care for all Americans. If it’s time to ban private prisons on the grounds of morality and civil rights, it’s also time to do the same for private health insurance. Elliot Branca, San Francisco