To the Editor:

Thank you for the Viewpoint by Amb. Patrick Theros titled “Unrealistic Campaign Promises or Just Not Thinking Big Enough?” which appeared in the August 17 issue.

It really is beyond belief that so many countries have figured out how to have universal health care but here in the United States everyone is held hostage by a health care system based on making money off of people’s illnesses.

I have heard so many stories of people who can’t afford to be sick, they have to start fundraisers online on crowdfunding websites in order to pay for lifesaving treatments that in other countries are a fraction of the cost here.

Meanwhile the president and all the people in Congress have the top notch healthcare most Americans can only dream about. Then there are those who talk about the people who are taking advantage of the system. Most of the time it seems like the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. There is no advantage to the system, the 99% always lose.

Dionysios F. Papakonstantinou
Seattle, WA