In response to “Single-payer is the way to go” (Mindy Oberne, Oct. 29), Mindy's naïve, patently false, and Kool-Aid induced opinion that 30 percent of health insurance premiums go to corporate profits cannot go unchallenged.

Had she done a minimal amount of research — health insurance carriers' financial statements are available on the Internet — she would discover that profits are not 30 percent. In fact, they are far from it. In 2008, Aetna posted net profits of 4.5 percent; Humana posted profits of 2.2 percent; and HealthNet's profits were under 1 percent.

Our health care system must be reformed and made more affordable, but we surely don't need another massive government bureaucracy to do it. Availing insurance to the uninsured and those with pre-existing conditions can be resolved in the private sector. We've addressed similar issues with other types of insurance, including auto and homeowner's insurance. For those that still can't afford it, government subsidies are most appropriate. Government has proven that it can't run anything efficiently. Government-run health care will be no different.

By the way, I just received a renewal letter from my profit-greedy health insurance com- pany informing me that, due to favorable claims experience, my premiums were dropping by 8 percent for 2010.

I'll never receive a letter from the government with similar news.

Richard Ulery

Alta Sierra