State single-payer health care bill offers many advantages

I was excited to read in Will Geschke’s report (“Everett lawmakers back universal health care bill, introduced in Olympia,” Feb. 8, The Herald) about bills in our state House and Senate that, I hope, will lead to a universal public health care system.

It would do away with “deductibles, premiums, co-pays, medical bills or out-of-network charges for health care coverage” and cover everyone in Washington from cradle to grave. Once implemented, such a single-payer system would not only make health care in Washington less costly, but also eliminate the additional stress and anxiety patients face when diagnosed with a serious illness, which currently can indebt people for life.

Moreover, a universal, government-run health care system would make it easier for small businesses to compete and survive. The current system gives large businesses an edge because their scale makes providing health care coverage less of a burden.

So, unlike our prospective U.S. secretary of health, I believe health care should be a human right in a civilized society and not be doled out at will by, often, for-profit corporations.

Barbara Bengtsson

Everett