This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Paul Ray just doesn't get it. Rep. Ray, chairman of the House Social Services Appropriations Subcommittee, writes in The Tribune: "Those who fund social services know we can't afford Medicaid expansion" (Dec. 2). A basic fact of health care is that all Americans pay for all services rendered.
We pay directly with deductibles and office copays. We pay indirectly with insurance premiums. We pay for senior, indigent and uninsured services through our taxes.
Paul Ray's argument is over which pocket we pay the cost from. A debt in my left pocket is identical to a debt in my right pocket. The argument (and solutions) should be over the size of the bill, not which pocket it is in. Come on, Rep. Ray. How about proposing solutions to reduce the overall cost of health care in the United States.
Robert Gauthier
Murray