In the Nov. 20 issue, columnist Douglas Rooks asks why, in the face of the recent crisis of funding our health care system, we do not consider fundamental changes (“In shutdown’s wake, a golden opportunity for nationalized health care“). We have the most expensive system in the world, but our health indices are near the bottom when compared to other industrialized countries. How is it that the wealthiest nation in the world cannot afford universal health care? 

In 2023, the Maine Medical Association polled our membership regarding possible systematic reforms and researched comparative health care systems. Based on this research, and the experiences of our physicians and patients, we concluded that our health care system should provide universal coverage, through either an adequately funded single-payer system or a combination of private and public financing where the federal government has, at minimum, regulatory powers over health care delivery to protect consumers and providers from private profit-driven motives. The full statement can be found on our website, mainephysicians.org. 

We need more efficient, accessible health care. Why do we keep throwing good money after bad, supporting a system that is not working without considering systemic reforms? Simply cutting services and funding is certainly not the answer. Our rural hospitals, birth centers and nursing homes already have been put at risk by the recent budget bill. I urge your readers to read our statement and support candidates who will work toward serious reforms and adequate funding for health care.

Paul Cain, MD 
Past president, Maine Medical Association
Oxford