Why is the US lagging on coronavirus tests? I’ll tell you why, it’s because our fragmented health care system is in the hands of insurance companies who are worried about how much it’s going to cost them.

They grudgingly announced that they may pay for testing but not treatment. Hence deciding how to pay for it is delaying the response. That’s the American way: think money first.

In comparison, the United Kingdom, Europe, China, Australia, New Zealand and S.Korea all have national health care systems that responded immediately to the crisis.

Len St.Clare

Mukilteo