Access and quality are not the only health care issues

Today President Obama replied to my appeal for the Public Option.  In his letter, he mentions that "there is broad consensus among the American people on the need for affordable, high-quality health care.  The rising cost of health care is the most pressing financial challenge for families and for our Nation, and controlling this cost is essential to bringing down the Federal deficits we inherited.  We must end unfair insurance practices that leave millions of Americans without coverage, denying them access to care, and exposing them to extraordinary burdens."  Although he signed the CHIP legislation, "still more must be done to lower costs, expand coverage, and improve the quality of health care."

The following is my response to President Obama: 

9/16/09
Honorable President Obama,

Thank you for the prompt reply to my appeal for Medicare for All.  In it, you emphasize that the most pressing issue is affordable, high-quality health care.  You then mention insurance reform.  Access to health care, high quality health care, and health insurance are 3 very different issues.  I believe you are confusing the issues.  I disagree with you that these are the principal issues needing reform. 

Another major issue is moral.  Even Senator Kennedy mentioned the moral issue in his final letter.  
The first issue is the moral imperative for a nation to protect its citizens.  Protection is not only by military at the borders of the country; we also protect our citizens with laws, police, judges, firefighters, public health, etc., all paid for with taxes.  It is a moral imperative for a developed nation to provide health insurance to ALL citizens. 

The second is whether it is moral or ethical to profit from ill health?  Should health care be a free market commodity?  All the aforementioned protective services are free for everyone and not market commodities.  I believe a free market for a person's life is immoral. 
One of the biggest issues has been the immorality of the health insurance companies which has driven us into this crisis. 

Your reform doesn't even mention morals or ethics.  You talk about reforming the health insurance industry but not reforming their morals.  Selling health insurance for profit is like selling a slave.  Slaves also should not be free market commodities, and profits made from trafficking are also not moral.  Medicare is a not-for-profit health insurance policy. 

Please, don't give this "reform" away to the insurance industry.  Make the insurance industry the "private option."  Medicare for ALL is the only moral choice.