Debate Over Health Care

Louis W. Sullivan, secretary of health and human services, is repeating the same old canards that have been used for the past 40 years to defeat any real reform in this nation’s health care system (Commentary, Jan. 13).

Neither the Administration’s proposals nor those being articulated by the Democrats will deal directly with the malaise in the health care industry. Both parties have for generations kept faith with the providers of health care services in preventing the construction of real changes needed to make health care available, accessible and affordable to all Americans.

Let’s take a look at some of Sullivan’s views and observations.

“America has set the world standard in medical care.” If one is talking about very sophisticated, enormously expensive and highly underutilized medical technology and buildings, the statement is accurate. But if one is talking about the provision of basic, high-quality, affordable care to the entire population, the statement is false.

He utters the ultimate shibboleth: “national health insurance.” He suggests that that program will result in “rationing of health care and long waits for medical care.” What do we have now, under our so-called “world standard in medical care”?

The residents of every other industrialized, free-market, capitalistic, democratic nation in the world have health care services that are more available, more accessible, less costly and even more qualitative than our own.

The officials of our national and state governments need to stop playing to the tune of the American Medical Assn., the American Hospital Assn. and similar self-serving interests who continue to undermine this nation’s opportunity to have a health care system which meets the needs of the people of this land.

MILTON GAN

Los Angeles