Negligent Homicide

[BoSoxGal]

To the editor: Opposing Medicare for all closer to negligent homicide
DEC 29, 2019 12:00 AM

I agree with Noah Smith’s column, “Opponents of ‘Medicare for all’ aren’t murderers,” Dec. 26. Perhaps this opposition is better characterized as negligent homicide — death caused by conduct that grossly deviates from ordinary care.

For every 800 or so uninsured Americans, one of them will die from treatable illness. There are 28 million uninsured and 20 million could soon be uninsured thanks to efforts to cancel the Affordable Care Act. Total unnecessary deaths could soar to 50,000 yearly.

High co-pays and deductibles also delay care for life-threatening illness, putting some 40 million underinsured at risk of delaying life-saving care.

The disease of the American health-care system is its extreme financial complexity. The administrative simplicity of Medicare for all will save nearly half a trillion dollars annually.

The disease of our political system is also about the money. The insurers and drug companies spend hundreds of millions to oppose Medicare for all. They are paying our political leaders to be homicidally negligent.

This negligent homicide must end. We can save tens of thousands of lives every year and bring the security of guaranteed coverage, choice of caregiver, and fair financing to all Americans. We must demand a system with everybody in and nobody out; an improved and expanded Medicare for all.

Dr. JOHNATHON ROSS
Past President, Physicians for a National Health Program,
Ottawa Hills