Single-Payer Healthcare for All Citizens

Re “A Dubious Healthcare Merger,” editorial, Nov. 10: You correctly note that a third of healthcare dollars spent in California do not go to patient care. This scandalous waste of money is due to the fact that the healthcare system is dominated by private insurance companies whose primary objective is to maximize executive compensation and company profits rather than provide cost-effective patient services.

On the other hand, under Medicare, the nonprofit, government-run, single-payer system for the elderly, less than 5% of the healthcare dollars do not go to patient care. It has been estimated that universal coverage under a government-run single-payer plan would save more than $66 billion in administrative costs. The only way to achieve an equitable and affordable healthcare system is to do what all other advanced industrial nations have done: adopt a Medicare-like plan for all citizens.

Sylvan Gollin

Claremont