This letter is in response to Walter Heydt (letter, March 12) regarding universal health care.

The current health-care system in the United States is unacceptable. In 2005, a Harvard study concluded that the leading cause of bankruptcy in America is medical bills.

A surprising statistic found during the study was the majority of the people who went bankrupt by medical bills had health insurance.

"The paradox is that the costliest health system in the world performs so poorly. We waste one-third of every health-care dollar on insurance bureaucracy and profits while 2 million go bankrupt annually and we leave 45 million uninsured" (Dr.
Quentin Young , national coordinator of Physicians for a National Health Program).

Mr. Heydt's letter also mentions that doctors from all over the world in universal health-care countries come to the United States for better incomes. If this were true, why is there a primary care physician shortage in this country?

In 2005, the Council on Graduate Medical Education released a report predicting a shortage of about 85,000 physicians by 2020. Most of the new doctors go into radiology, ophthalmology, anesthesiology and dermatology because primary care does not pay enough.

I do agree with Mr. Heydt that it would be difficult for a universal health-care system such as the one in Canada to work in the U.S. because of our large population. However, today's health insurance policies with high deductibles and co-pays offer little protection during serious illness.

"The Founding Fathers declared that we are endowed with unalienable rights, among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. There is no question that in order to have life we must have health." (Haft, 2003, Page 23).

David Arconti Jr.