A healthcare wall to keep us safe while Congress debates changing our healthcare system and building a monstrous wall?

Here is a simple proposal: Unite the two subjects and work on making healthcare the best “wall” to protect all Americans from foreign diseases and illnesses, as well as homegrown sicknesses. I believe one of our country’s top priorities (besides good education) should be to maximize our citizens’ health and well-being.

Obamacare tried to give everyone decent coverage for an affordable price wherever one lived. It was a worthy start.

But why are we still using an insurance model for something that should be the same for everyone? After all, we have the same organs.

Why should where you live determine how much medical services cost? After all, we have the same organs.

Why should your income level have anything to do with your medical coverage? After all, we have the same organs.

Why, in this country of all the major countries of the world, do we put so many roadblocks to accessing healthcare? It’s counterintuitive.

And it’s irresponsible how Congress always finds (borrows) money for wars and now is even considering a $14 billion wall on our Mexican border, while our nation’s health remains unprotected.

A Medicare-like health program that covered everyone everywhere the same way would eliminate Medicaid. And it would eliminate all the middlemen, paperwork and insurance reimbursement craziness that entails so much time, bureaucracy and additional expense. To pay for this, we would put the current Medicare tax on a sliding scale so that those who can afford it pay more, acting like the support of the healthier/younger group in the Obamacare system. That would be the fairest plan. Ubiquitous, robust healthcare: the strongest wall to defend us all.

JOHN DELANEY

Port Townsend