It’s tiring to see the same hollow claims against universal health care trotted out, when American citizens are making justified calls for health care reform.

Is fearing long wait times the best you got? Really? How many months to see a Durango specialist?

You can be sure these authors have never witnessed a terminally ill loved one go through the American insurance “denial wringer” – calling repeatedly to reapply for coverage they’ve paid for but been denied. I have.

American insurance executive Wendell Potter found his conscience and came clean about his industry’s standard procedure: deny claims repeatedly even for covered situations to wear out and defraud customers even until their death.

Among first-world countries, only here in America are such unconscionable crimes committed.

All other developed countries guarantee health care for every citizen, period.

Only in America do we weigh human value against cost or greed. And America alone boasts medical bankruptcies – half a million per year, another awful burden for desperately sick folks.

Universal health care is both better and cheaper, as demonstrated clearly by outcomes and cost. Among industrialized countries, America ranks near last in WHO health care outcomes (e.g. infant and mother mortality rates, life expectancy). If other countries are denying treatments, as some imply, why are their citizens outliving us by five-plus years?

Universal health care-blessed citizens pay around $5,000 a year in taxes versus our $10,000 a year in premiums, co-pays and deductibles. No wonder they love their universal health care systems, and why 70% of Americans want it too – including most Republicans.

Karen PontiusDurango