Politicians have abandoned manufacturers
The full-page ad on page A6, in the March 23 edition, states GE lighting plants in Logan, and in Bucyrus are closing.
The ad also states that not a single Republican senator, including our own Rob Portman, stood with our Ohio workers.
More: GE-Savant plans to close Bucyrus lighting plant as fluorescent, halogen bulb sales fall
I recall after working at Buckeye Steel Castings for 40 years, the largest steel casting foundry in the country and, at one time having employed 2,400 employees, and after 100 years in business, filed for bankruptcy.
They were purchased, reopened, closed, purchased and reopened, eventually filing again for bankruptcy.
More: After morning rally in Bucyrus, lighting plant workers travel to Columbus for protest
The entire facility was purchased through bankruptcy and razed. No doubt the railroads and off-road equipment customers are buying their castings overseas.
I guess our politicians only want warehouses, i.e., Amazon, etc., and Intel in this state.
John A. Backus, Pickerington
More: How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch
US healthcare system needs reform based on Medicare for all
The Columbus Dispatch article on hospital mergers showed a convoluted picture of a dizzy diagram of a healthcare system eating itself.
More: As Ohio hospital systems merge, what does that mean for patients?
Costly healthcare mergers reveal just one of many failed market-based cost control tweaks.
For decades, since Richard Nixon thought HMO’s were the answer to higher health care costs, costs have risen, and healthcare outcomes have not improved.
For decades, we have tried capitation; privatization of Medicare, Medicaid, dialysis, hospice, home care and long-term care facilities; health savings accounts, price transparency, limited provider networks, high deductibles and copays, bundled payments, pay for performance, malpractice reforms, HMO’s, ACO’s, PPO’s and everything but Spaghetti-O’s.
Has it worked?
Compared to other rich countries with healthcare systems that cover everyone, we leave tens of millions uninsured and spend twice as much with worse health outcomes. It seems that market forces are the disease for which they are supposed to be the cure.
More: Letter: COVID-19 demonstrates need for universal health care
The Congressional Budget Office has produced two reports which analyzed improved and expanded Medicare for all.
The first shows savings enough in administrative waste to cover everyone with comprehensive benefits, eliminate out-of-pocket costs at the point of service, allow complete choice of provider, and still lower national health expenditures by at least $40 billion annually.
More: Six companies will split $20B in managed-care work under biggest contract in Ohio history
The second shows benefit to an economy hobbled by our hyper-complex, wasteful, non-system and its thousands of commercial insurance plans. The commercial insurance emperors decry Medicare for all saying that one size cannot fit all, but they have no clothes.
The COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated that the social determinants of health matter.
The most socially vulnerable suffered the worst health outcomes. American business and political leaders should acknowledge the failure of our existing sickness-care non-system. It costs too much and covers too few.
We need comprehensive reform based on an improved, expanded Medicare for all deeply embedded with our public health system and social support programs so there is no wrong door to needed care.
Dr. Johnathon Ross of Toledo Lucas County Board of Health and Alice Faryna, a Columbus doctor, Single Payer Action Network (SPAN) Ohio. Bob Krasen, Columbus Area coordinator of SPAN Ohio.
