Insuring the Uninsured Is Good for Us All

Re “Premature Health Initiative,” editorial, Dec. 4: The Times calls for delay in implementation of a new law that would make available affordable health insurance for 1.3 million working Californians who are currently uninsured. Though you call the bill “hastily enacted” and say it should be put off while its shortcomings are corrected, we are grateful that you acknowledge something must be done.

But what the editorial fails to point out is that the law doesn’t take effect for two years. That is plenty of time to fix any problems. Rather than rescind the measure, now is the time to perfect it and ensure that some of California’s nearly 7 million uninsured get coverage. The rest of us pay for their health care now, through overcrowded emergency rooms, higher insurance premiums, higher taxes and less healthy and less productive workplaces and classrooms.

Jack Lewin MD

Executive Vice President, California Medical Assn.

Sacramento