Single payer system makes sense for U.S.

After watching our president recently speak on health care reform I was left with many questions. I have been in the health care profession for the past 25 years as a nurse. My career has taken me down many pathways and the learning of how the health profession works and doesn't work.

That said, I feel that health care can be the practice of individuals with repetitive bad behavior. I hear no mention of curing the Medicaid systems by making individuals responsible for their own bad decisions. Over and over again young women are having babies at the expense of our generosity of tax dollars put into Medicaid. One only has to get pregnant (if not a legal resident) to be put into the system. It's time we say to these women - legal or not - that one is a mistake, two is a family, three is on your dime not mine.

Recently three community health care clinics in the Elgin area were awarded stimulus package money from our government in the amount of $1.5 million. It is imperative that these clinics keep a watchful eye on who they are providing this health care to. If they are going to accept United States taxpayers' money, they better make sure this money is going to United States citizens. Again and again I have seen the Kane County Health Department give public aid money to individuals with fake IDs and Social Security numbers.

I applaud the wonderful work these health care clinics provide, but let's just put our heads together to cut the fat from Medicaid and allow a single payer system to be available to all of our citizens. I have suggested one idea ... can anyone out there come up with more?

Lin Nielsen

Gilberts