To the Editor:



Those who are opposed to having a government-as-single-payer, health-care-for-all system ought to have a conversation with themselves, focusing on some self-impact issues.

They should ask themselves:



Why do I believe the headlines that banks are stabilizing, but refuse to believe the headlines that this country will continue to shed jobs, and that new waves of foreclosures are in progress?



Can I guarantee that I will have my job, with health benefits, one year from now, or even one or two weeks from now? Can I guarantee the same for my spouse or partner, or my children and grandchildren?



If I am a business owner, can I guarantee that I will have ongoing or additional customers?

Do I delude myself into believing that if I become unemployed, I will always be able to "find something," i.e., pumping gas, to provide for myself and my family?



Do I really believe that if one catastrophic or horrific event has already happened to me or my family, I am immune from another one forevermore?



Do I refuse to believe that there is an ongoing waste of money by insurance companies and lobbyists, or that my co-pays will not go up?



Am I aware that many health policies carry specific benefit payout limits? Do I know those limits for each ailment, accident or incident, or each person covered? Is my nest egg safe and sizable enough to handle over-the-limit costs?



If I don't mind that uninsured neighbors or strangers might die needlessly, do I mind if they are contagious and could possibly infect me because of their inability to secure timely, necessary medical attention?



Am I fluent in "legalese" — the deceptive, fine-tuned jargon that fills the massive brochures for my health insurance, which I don't have the time to read and understand? Am I confident that policy loopholes won't come back and bite me when I most need and expect coverage?



With a return of talk about tort and medical malpractice reform, might I be able to lobby instead for justice system reforms that target for jail and disbarment the lawyers who unscrupulously write loophole-filled, Swiss cheese policies for their own undeserved financial gain, and the gain of insurance company executives and board members?



Finally, how big and secure is my own support system? And why am I allowing my country to be called "uncivilized" because it is one of the only developed nations to not care about health care justice for all?



Madeline J. Schaeffer

Glassboro



