Delay, Denial, Despair - An Edited Version of this Post Is Scheduled to Appear in Letters to the Editor in the Boston Globe

("Killing of United Healthcare CEO brings resentment of the healthcare system to the fore")

If there is a unifying theme for Americans rich, poor, black, white, Democrat or Republican it is in their collective unhappiness with private health insurance. All of us, at one point or another, ourselves or through a loved one, experienced a trauma relating to the denial of a claim. Some relatively minor. Others emotionally and financially devastating. All unbelievably frustrating and time consuming.

For those like me, now on Medicare, the coverage problems have virtually disappeared. And yet the concept of universal care is one that has proven anathema to us. The health of this nation relying instead, in large part, on those like United Healthcare.

Let the response to this tragic death serve as a wake up call to those who lead us. In the tomorrow's to come let us revive the thought of universal healthcare. We all want, we all deserve much better than what the private insurance companies offer: delay, denial, despair.