After reading Mr. Begakis’ article (Obama’s Health Plan Ignores Human Nature, May 13, 2009), I must say that it is a disappointment to see such a level of both misinformation and ignorance. First, the notion that the U.S. medical market is somehow perfectly competitive is nonsense. In theory, most markets could be perfect; however, how many times have we seen that giving the “free market” a free reign is a bad idea? Standard Oil anyone?

Furthermore, Mr. Begakis speaks of rationing health care. Are the 46 million Americans without health care not an implicit sign of health care rationing? How about your HMO telling you what services or drugs you are or are not allowed to have? Free market or not, when supplies of a good are limited, rationing will happen.

I am not one who is for having completely nationalized health care, as I see the market playing a large positive role in fixing the current mess we have. The nuances of such undertakings are complicated, and there is not nearly enough space in this letter (or paper) to address them. I’d like to add that I support the idea of having as little government intervention in the market as possible. However, the notion of keeping a human reasonably healthy solely for the sake of profit is morally unconscionable and utterly disgusting.

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