Susan Gills argues in her July 6 letter that health care is not a right – partly because the Bill of Rights does not mention it.  But the Bill of Rights is not an exhaustive decree, and social structures are not immutable.

Police protection is a right for ethical reasons (children should be safe no matter who their parents are) and for socioeconomic reasons (the real cost of selective police protection is much higher than the cost of universal protection).  Health care is also a right, for the same ethical and socioeconomic reasons.  Comparing infant mortality rates, disease rates, patient satisfaction, medical costs, productivity losses, and system-management costs of the American system with existing single-payer systems shows that single-payer is more efficient and effective than privately-managed care.  And, by replacing profit-by-denial with profit-by-service, single-payer increases competition among doctors and thus health care quality.  Most other Western nations, and three-fourths of the American public, already know this.

Ms. Gills’ fear that single-payer health care will lead to generalized socialism is facetious, because laws are not slippery slopes (or else Connecticut’s drinking age, increased in the early 1980’s, would now be around 82).  Ms. Gill’s use of anecdotes as evidence is also moot, because horror stories can be cited on either side of the health care debate.  (Ironically, Ms. Gill’s anecdote of a co-worker using health services without paying contradicts her thesis:  in a single-payer system, this co-worker would have paid for her health care through taxes.)

Yes, personal responsibility is important.  But we must base our system on statistical evidence, rather than fears, ideologies, and anecdotes – and the evidence is overwhelming.  It’s time to join the developed world and implement an ethical, efficient, truly competitive single-payer system.  Unfortunately, insurance companies are spending millions to convince Congress – and people like Ms. Gills – otherwise.

Sincerely,

Tom Margolis

Boulder