Medicare structured for profiteering, not health

I just spoke with my sister in Natchez, MS, who was rushed from her small business to the hospital five miles away. The cost for that ambulance trip was $1,522. The month before I went to a North County hospital, but fortunately I drove myself. I don’t know how much money I saved Medicare by driving myself, but I have received other statements totaling $94,774 to have my gallbladder removed.

I find these costs astronomically outrageous. It is no wonder Medicare is going broke. Our medical scheme was designed to soak the taxpayers and profit the industry by abusing Medicare. With unemployment in this nation already over seven percent, millions working for minimum wage, 47 million Americans with no insurance and many millions more underinsured, we can be sure few can pay $95,000 to have their gallbladder removed. Many cannot even afford to have a wart removed from their nose.

My anger is directed at this administration which demanded $850 billion to bail out irresponsible banks, brokers and speculators but defeated a mere $7 billion a year to cover 6.6 million children for healthcare. Bush vetoed this bill twice, and the Republican representatives, including Darrell Issa, sustained Bush’s veto both times. I am grateful for Medicare, but we must reduce its cost with a universal single-payer system for all Americans, most importantly for children. I would rather socialize medicine for children than bailout broker firms and socialize our financial system.

Joe Howard Crews