In response to health care Reader Opinion in Monday's Dispatch, during a period of unemployment, I turned to the VA for my medical needs. I can offer only praise, admiration and respect for the VA and gratitude for the professionalism and expertise of the people who work there. I have heard of problems with the VA, but I haven't witnessed any of them. The problems may be in states other than Minnesota. Though I now have Medicare and I could choose to see any doctor, I continue to use the VA as my primary health care provider.
The VA is government run health care (similar to the British healthcare system). The VA health care workers are government employees. It is not single-payer.
Single-payer is a national health insurance system (similar to Medicare). The government is billed, but the health care delivery system remains private and the doctors remain in private practice. You can choose your doctors and hospital.
The July 17 writer "... cannot remember seeing people dying in the streets before Obamacare." Not seeing it doesn't mean it didn't happen. In the United States, 120 people die every day from lack of health insurance! In Canada (with single-payer), zero people die everyday due to lack of health insurance.
Eric Norquist
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Brainerd
