HEALTH CARE: This is a step the nation must take

Re: “Every facet of cancer treatment in 1 place” (TNT, 3-15).

FLORENCE ARIESSOHN; Lake Tapps

Published: 03/20/10 12:05 am

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Re: “Every facet of cancer treatment in 1 place” (TNT, 3-15).

The article about MultiCare’s new facility for treating cancer included a nice picture of a smiling patient and her nurse, looking out at a beautiful view. This is the sort of thing that some people point to with pride when they say that we have the “best health care in the world.”

Unfortunately, too many of us have no access to this care or any care, either because we can’t afford it or because the insurance companies refuse to take us. All the phony cries of “government takeover” from the Republicans ring hollow when we have already been taken over – by the greed of companies that must make more and more money to reward their upper management and their stockholders.

The current proposals represent only one small step towards a decent system that is affordable and covers everyone, and it is a step we must take. We have a long way to go, and we can’t get anywhere by starting over from the beginning.

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