The following letter was sent to both Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressman Anthony Weiner in late November:

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November 23, 2009

Senator Bernie Sanders

332 Dirksen Bldg

U.S. Senate

Washington, D.C. 20510

 

Dear Mr. Sanders,

 I have been a die-hard social liberal for my entire adult life.  In my heart, I know that the ideal delivery of health care is under a single payer system.  I am a physician, a family practitioner who has spent the last 25 years begging my colleagues to help save Medicare, our single payer system for Seniors.  While the quality of care, overall, is admirable, costs for durable goods, laboratory and oxygen at 3-5 times proper retail prices, and drugs at least twice legitimate retail prices have made cost control a fond dream at best.

Democrats have stonewalled on their share of the waste and graft (durable goods, oxygen and lab), while Republicans have permitted, and actually ensured, through Part D, that their share of waste and graft would continue.  The result is at least 80-100 billion dollars per year in overspending by our version of the single-payer system.  Every year, Congress attempts to give all of the wasteful entities a larger share of the Medicare pie and works to decrease the physicians’ share.  At the same time, nothing is done about tort reform.

The CBO’s actual estimate is that tort reform would have a 1½% impact on national healthcare costs.  “½%” is an insulting figure.  Furthermore, the 1½% figure is due to the fact that unlike every other business, physicians are not permitted to include the cost of liability in their prices, no matter how high they rise.  While Attorneys and Insurance companies make large profits from tort cases, they are permitted virtually total freedom to prey upon innocent parties- Attorneys are permitted to sue anyone for anything with no boundaries and no conscience.  Insurance companies are permitted to carry 2 sets of books and “own” almost every crooked state insurance commissioner in this country. 

I know that you are trying to be a legitimate champion for health care and for every US citizen, but if you are serious about an ultimate single payer system, you must start by cleaning up Medicare!  The VA spends 40cents on the dollar for the same medications for which Medicare carriers cannot use the Medicare population to negotiate prices.  VA patients have rights that Medicare seniors do not!  This is a clear violation of the 14th Amendment.  Our dearly beloved Supreme Court and Bar Association claim that this is not a violation of “Equal Protection” because they are not qualified to define “due process.” Apparently they are also unqualified to define “Equal Protection,” “cheating,” “graft” and to recognize their own disease entity.  That entity, from a lay person’s perspective would seem to be “law school.”

The other problem that is of serious concern, Mr. Sanders, is the massive bureaucracy that is necessary to run a single payer system for 330 million or more citizens.  Canada and most European countries have more mature bureaucracies and started with tens of millions of citizens under their health care systems.  Our bureaucracy, thus far, has been woefully inadequate to handle the current Medicare/ Medicaid population.  I am a physician and, pray as I might, I do not see our bureaucracy improving any time soon.  In fact, the only way we could manage a single payer system would be through the hiring of the insurance companies’ bureaucracy.

I fear that as long as Democrats like Pete Stark and John Dingell and Republicans like Billy Tauzin and Tom Delay are permitted, without penalty, to severely corrupt healthcare in this country, Mr. Sanders, as long as they continue to be rewarded for their efforts, we will continue to be the laughing stock of the civilized world when it comes to fair and adequate health care.

Enclosed are various articles I have written in an attempt to elucidate some of the many complex issues that most people overlook. I have tried, diligently, to maintain an objective point of view.  Forgive me if I sometimes seem too caustic.  I believe we are both working toward the same goal of fair and practical healthcare for all Americans. 

You might find my political blog interesting.  It can be found at www.ofinky.squarespace.com or just Google “OFinky Factor.”

Thank you for your kind attention and your tireless service to the American people.

Yours truly,

 

Allen Finkelstein, D.O.

cc: The Honorable Anthony Weiner

cc: Jonathan Turley Esq.

 

Senator Sanders- I consider you and Congressman Weiner as defacto champions of national health and the single payer system in the Senate and House respectively.  As such, I have taken the liberty of sending a copy of this letter to Mr. Weiner and, also, to Professor Jonathan Turley, a Constitutional authority at George Washington University.  I have also enclosed a copy of letter which I have sent to Mr. Turley.

Thank you for your attention and concern regarding these issues.  I realize that all of you are involved in what is to become a heroic struggle with the forces of ignorance and indifference that exist in both parties.