Health Care Debate

In “Beware of ‘Managed Competition’ Converts,” (Jan. 13), Lois Salisbury tells us that no system of health care reform will work without budgetary caps. The context of her article makes it clear that the “caps” apply not only to what the government can spend or mandate, but private health care expenditures too.

With the exception of Canada, no nation this side of the Iron Curtain prevents its citizens from going outside the public system. Moreover, Canadians freely go across the border to purchase health care, while the former Iron Curtain countries are running at top speed from the kind of oppression she advocates.

She states Medicare has lower administrative costs than other payers. Anyone who has dealt with Medicare can tell her it is easy to keep administrative costs down if there is no competition.

Salisbury is saying, in effect, that no matter how bad government-controlled health care may be, no American should have the right to buy something better.

TERENCE F. MALOY, M.D.

Orange