Letter to the editor: Government should stay out of health care

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To the Editor:

The coronavirus pandemic has been tough on everyone. I am one of many Americans who contracted COVID-19, and fortunately, I was able to recover. I cannot say the same for many others in our community. This is a dire time, but the promising results of vaccines give me hope that we may soon emerge from this bleak period.

These vaccines are the key to ending this pandemic. My hope is that individuals and communities across the country will soon be inoculated so that we may finally put an end to this devastating moment in time. The shots are safe and effective and offer us long-term protection from a disease that has already taken so much from us.

As someone who suffers from heart disease, I am well-versed with the nuances of the pharmaceutical industry. The medication I take is a direct result of free-market innovation among biopharmaceutical companies, something that I hope we continue to promote and support. Unfortunately, not all politicians feel the same and appreciate the industry’s work and research.

I believe that if politicians were to understand how many patients lives stand to benefit from innovation, government leaders would stay out of their way and out of health care. Patients stand to lose when politicians get involved, especially when government tries to dictate the price of medication. Price setting and government involvement means companies have less to invest in cures and treatments. Why would we threaten such a future?

Moses Matthews
Bear Creek