Opinion: That the U.S. is the most dangerous wealthy nation for newborn children is not news to doctors

To the editor: The Jan. 8 article, “Why the United States is ‘the most dangerous of wealthy nations for a child to be born into,’” reiterates the dreary facts about healthcare in the United States — facts that have been known since I completed medical school in 1979.

I remember reading a monograph entitled “Billions for Band-Aids” then, and nothing appears to have changed in the last three decades.

Citizens of this country have got to demand a comprehensive and cost-effective public healthcare system (models already exist in Medicare-for-all proposals) and reasonable pricing mechanisms for prescription drugs. Until people are marching in the streets and voting with their brains, things will only get worse.

Arthur Strauss, MD, Irvine

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