A month ago I lost a finger and almost lost my thumb to a table saw. I received excellent care from our local volunteer EMTs, the Rio Grande Hospital ER, flight medics and Denver Health. I’m doing well thanks to all those folks so, firstly, thank you to our local medical personnel!

My medical care was excellent. My health insurance is not. I am glad I had it because with our current system I’d surely be in the poorhouse without it! However, with the threat of the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, it seems as though there is a lot more interest in a state or federally run health care system. I’m all for it! Let’s get rid of our reliance on private health insurance companies.

Take some of the money from our defense budget ($639 billion for the 2018 fiscal year) and use some of those taxpayer dollars to fund a single-payer health care system, one like the rest of the countries in the developed world have. No need to worry about pre-existing conditions being covered.

No need to bet on whether you might need to ride in an ambulance that year. No need to worry about whether you can afford the cost of preventative care. No need to see bills for the most part!

I experienced that system growing up in Canada and it was great. It still is a good system, contrary to what many people try and tell us down here. My parents benefit from it all the time! Now don’t get me wrong, there are problems with every system, and I can only imagine that setting up a new, single-payer system is complex. But I can’t think of any good reason for having giant for-profit insurance companies involved in my health care, particularly when it’s in their financial best interest to deny me coverage.

I pay $3,000 a year just in premiums, which isn’t high compared to some people I know. I’d happily pay that in taxes if I knew that I wouldn’t have to pay an additional fee for every other medical visit or prescription and, particularly if I knew that everyone in this country was covered!

Bring on a single-payer health care system!

Laura Conchelos

Monte Vista