Give us what politicians have

Re “Healthcare proposals, detangled,” Opinion, Dec. 7

The healthcare solutions being touted by the major presidential candidates all amount to the same thing: Keep the existing for-profit insurance system in place, perhaps making it even more profitable by mandating that the population buy the insurers’ products. We deserve better.

For-profit insurers have had decades to show us a workable system, and they have failed. The U.S. healthcare system is the laughingstock of the industrialized world, and only a government-funded system, such as that now used by every other country of consequence, has the potential to provide high-quality coverage for the entire population for less than we’re spending now. Strong evidence that a taxpayer-funded system is the best available is the fact that the president, all members of Congress and all state executives and legislators have this exact system for themselves and their families and show absolutely no signs of giving it up.

Let’s end the hypocrisy of having people with perpetual, uncancelable, taxpayer-funded health insurance telling us that private, for-profit insurers are the answer.

Stacy Bermingham

San Diego