Care elsewhere not so bad

Don Graham’s letter, “Our health system beats others” (Oct. 1), is very misleading. There is some very good medical research carried out in the USA and some excellent practicing doctors are available. On the other hand, we spend a greater percentage of our gross domestic product on medical services than other industrialized nations. At the same time, many of those nations yield better service. One example is longer life spans.

One problem is that people who have little firsthand experience with the medical systems in other countries mold what little information they have to make it match their personal bias. During 28 years living outside the USA, my wife and I lived in Canada for 27 years and England for one year. While raising two kids we never experienced the problems with doctors or the systems that Americans keep saying are prominent in those countries.

Richard B. May

Spokane