Would you rather not have health care insurance?
To the editor:
In a recent contribution on “Deep-seated anger toward health care industry continues to rise,” the author pointed out the profits brought in by United Health Care in the year 2023 while paying “$5.704 million in income taxes.” She then turned “political” by saying, “Now wealthy corporations want even more tax breaks. And Americans voted for that in the last election.”
The Democratic Party had the presidency and control of the Senate for the last four years which also happens to encompass the time frame selected in the article for apparent criticism of their profits and tax remittances. Why wasn’t something done by the Biden/Harris administration if these “profits” were illegal or excessive? The American people voted for much more than tax relief in the last election, but tax relief will be felt by consumers just like the pain of higher taxes and runaway inflation under Biden was felt from mandatory price increases required just to stay in business. Competition dictates the pricing of products in a free market and lack of competition makes room for monopolies which are not tolerated in our country.
How do you think a minimum wage increase of 33% affects the businesses in California? Do you think they should just operate at a loss because people like fast food? It doesn’t work that way under a capitalist system but if you prefer the other, then try surviving in Cuba, N. Korea, China, Iran or Venezuela. Unless you are on Medicare, health care insurance is a product that may be purchased by you and in many cases, there are subsidies to offset lower income families.
The author signed the contribution “MD.” The average MD in the U.S., according to Med School Advisers, is $352,000 per year while only $252,000 per year qualifies an earner to be in the top 5% of all incomes in the United States meaning 95 % of all wage earners make less than an MD. How much is too much?
No one has ever said our health care system is “perfect” and it will undoubtedly continue to evolve for the betterment of the consumer but, those that sneer at the word “profit” are usually in the very inviable position of not having to make one.
Max Christian
St. James City