eLetter to Denver Post 02/15/12

I’m pleased about the fair and effective solution in the Obama administration standoff against the American Catholic hierarchy regarding the inclusion of birth control in their medical-employee health care benefits. Balancing the “religious liberty” of church officialdom against those of their diverse employees is more complex than right-wing politicians make it seem. For me, it’s important to keep health-care reform on track, especially given its very lengthy phasing-in period — so conducive to calamity-howlers. Too many of us are prejudging its “terrible cost” (compared to what? ill-considered wars?). But do we remember that our current patchwork, profit-rich health care system is, at 18 percent of GDP, the most expensive in the world — even while leaving millions of us exposed to medical or financial ruin? As a retired health-care chaplain, I can’t help hearing the pain of those unemployed or indigent who are caught in the gaps.

Frank Baysore, Aurora, Co.