Bernie Sanders

Sen. Bernie Sanders.

(J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

By Richard Master

The recent Washington Post editorial reprinted in The Express-Times ("Sanders must detail funding for his health care plan," Jan. 22), characterizes single-payer health care reform as "democratic socialism" and Bernie Sanders, its current most prominent advocate, as "independent," not a real Democrat. It further considers current cost increases in health care as moderate and the savings available through single-payer reform as not significant.

Single-payer is solidly within the great tradition of Democratic Party thought, from Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy. Until Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama waffled when confronted with the health-care lobby's dollars and political strategy, they both were advocates.

As American consumers and CEOs know, health care costs have increased dramatically. In 2015 alone the increase was 12.5 percent for drugs and devices, and more than 6 percent for the overall healthcare sector, when inflation for the country was less than 2 percent. At 18 percent of the economy (more than $3 trillion) up from 7 percent in the 1970s and twice that of the industrialized world, the U.S. healthcare sector clearly is eating the rest of the economy alive.

Single-payer will reduce massive administrative waste and system complexity, which now absorbs 30 cents of every dollar spent. Under Sanders' program, drugs would be purchased at internationally competitive levels, saving more than $150 billion a year. In toto, a single-payer reform will generate $400 billion to $500 billion in in savings while providing comprehensive care to all Americans.

We the people are for that reform (58 percent Americans approve, according to a Kaiser Poll), excepting as we see, the media and newspapers, which enjoy massive advertising dollars from the health care industry.

Richard Master is the CEO of MCS Industries Inc. of Easton, a supplier of picture frames and decorative mirrors. He is the executive producer of "FIX IT ... Healthcare At The Tipping Point," a documentary providing an economic analysis of healthcare and advocating single payer reform..