A letter to the editor was recently published, promoting a single-payer health care system. I would like to submit a counterpoint.

If you really wish to understand the results of single-payer health care, do some research, Google the survival rates of cancer victims in countries with a single-payer systems. Check on the long-term survival rates for heart attacks and strokes. Check to see how long it takes to get a knee or hip replaced. Check and see how many organ transplants are made per 100,000 citizens.

Check and see how many of the new drugs lifesaving and procedures are not made available to those who could benefit. Compare the real facts with America’s record on health care.

Ask yourself why citizens from countries that have single-payer systems and can afford to head for America; Guadalajara, Mexico; or other areas in the world for hip and knee replacements, heart bypass and cancer surgeries? The reason is simple: They would rather pay out of their own pockets than wait months or even years to receive the care provided by single-payer systems.

A single-payer system will not be cheaper. No endeavor ever undertaken by any federal government is cheaper or better. Only a fool will believe everyone will receive the same level of health care under a single-payer system. Do you really wish to put your health care in the hands of a nameless faceless bureaucratic bean counter. I think not!

Every member of Congress will be the first to opt out. Our elected officials are self-serving and already have a level of medical care the average American can only dream about.

The second group that will opt out will be the rich. No matter how a single-payer system is set up, this group will find a way to get the quality of health care they need.

The third group that would be allowed to opt out is federal employees.

The rest of us will be left with second-rate health care. Take a good look at how the VA is system is working. This is the closest thing we have to a single-payer system. The only difference is that a national single-payer system would be much worse and far more corrupt.

If you really wish to shorten your life and quality thereof, see loved ones suffer and die needlessly, because some unseen bureaucrat has decided you are too old or infirmed to receive life saving procedures, then perhaps single payer is for you.

I have talked to many individuals from many countries in my travels. The young usually love the system, but most will admit their parents hate it.

Yes, America has health care problems, but let’s not make them worse. Big government control is not the answer.

Be very careful what you wish for.

Don Sorensen

Albert Lea