The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks the United States thirty-first in life expectancy, behind Cuba, Slovenia, and Costa Rica, for example. Japan has the longest life expectancy both for men and women.

WHO also indicates in their surveys that 120 other nations have a lower suicide rate than the United States

The Center For Disease Control (CDC) ranks the United States 37th in quality Health Systems; 29th in infant mortality, behind Slovenia, Cuba, and Poland, among others.

Studies by the Commonwealth Fund concludes "no other advanced nation even comes close in annual spending on health care as does the United States and among the 13 highest income nations the United States ranks dead last in health outcome."

Given the above information Universal Health Care or "Medicare for all" makes sense. The United States is now the only advanced nation on the planet where health care is still seen as a privilege and not a sensible right. Germany has had universal health care since Bismarck. It would seem self evident that a healthy nation is the first step in cutting costs for health care. And, as part of expanded Medicare, caring for the aged, prenatal care and, most important, preventative care would solve many of the problems the WHO and CDC list for the United States above.

Politicizing health care is not the answer as we have seen. It's well past time we abandon partisanship and make "America healthy again."

Harry Tenney (electronic mail, March 30, 2017)