To the editor: The superb article about the consequences of cutting healthcare subsidies is heartbreaking (“The loss of healthcare subsidies force Californians to pay more or go without,” Feb. 6).
The individual stories of what people are going through after Congress narrowly voted to allow enhanced federal subsidies for the Affordable Care Act to expire are shocking. Just so billionaires can get even more favorable tax treatment.
The rat’s nest of our insanely complex and increasingly unaffordable insurance system doesn’t have to exist. No other high-income country puts its people through such unnecessary real suffering.
It doesn’t have to be like this.
As the closing comment in the article states, we need a universal system of unified public financing — expanding Medicare to cover everyone. Enough is enough.
Steve Tarzynski, Santa Monica
This writer is the former president of the nonprofit advocacy group California Physicians Alliance.
