Douglas Rooks addressed for-profit insurance companies in his column Dec. 29. Those companies are only one part of the high cost of medical care. There are highly paid, efficient lobbyists for physicians, hospitals and other medical providers who donate large sums to politicians who will support their policies.

Supposedly, government is there to protect consumers and provide a level playing field. My hope for Obamacare is that it will address those outrageous costs when the program finally gets the kinks out.

Providers and their paid politicians do everything they can to sustain their profits by undermining Obamacare.

Hospitals do not need to pay administrators more than a million dollars a year, or hide profits by buying nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, doctor groups and other competing businesses. Protecting the interests of voters appears to be a threat to profit.

Government is not a “for profit” business. Businesses are run to make a profit for owners and investors. In my experience that can result in poor service to customers, a shoddy product, misrepresentation, outsourcing and many other characteristics you don’t want in good government.

To avoid that, governments institute guidelines, rules, legislation, directives, etc. The “for profit” guys do not want to be regulated. My hope is that businessmen will continue to be businessmen and those called to serve will govern.

Learning the source of the donations to political campaigns would help the public to understand where politicians’ true allegiance lies.

Marilyn Burgess, Leeds

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