David Brooks' view on Medicare mistaken

By Debra Walter, M.D.
Letters, Arizona Daily Star, June 14, 2011

Re: the June 8 column by David Brooks "Medicare proposals reflect parties' worldviews":

While I agree the debate really reflects broad philosophical differences, he is quite mistaken in assuming private insurance plans represent "local control."

Blue Cross, United, Aetna and others are just as national and centralized as Medicare; they all have divisional levels of control.

Any physician will tell you that Medicare is the easiest and least controlling of all insurance choices.

The debate is really about the sanctity of corporate control versus allowing our government to assist us in pooling our resources and funding health care for all.

The continued fantasy that for-profit health insurance companies are acting in our collective best interest hasn't proven to be true yet.

The continued drain of our health care dollars into profit, administration and advertising will keep draining our health as a nation until we as a country decide to take charge and take care of ourselves without the corporate middleman.

Debra Walter is a physician in Tucson.