LETTER: Imagine health care as a sacred right

Imagine a national healthcare system not built on profit, paperwork, or exclusion – but on mercy, justice, and love. A system that says: “You are worthy of care. Not because of your job, your passport, or your bank account—but because you are human.” 

In this model, every person is covered — citizens, residents, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, migrant workers, and even tourists. No one is asked for payment. No one is turned away. Just as Jesus healed the sick without condition, this system offers care as a sacred right. 

The system is sustained through progressive taxation, where those with greater means contribute more. This reflects the Biblical ethic: “To whom much is given, much will be required” (Luke 12:48). Wasteful spending on billing departments and insurance bureaucracy is eliminated, freeing billions to be reinvested in actual care. 

Funds are managed by community-led boards, ensuring transparency and local accountability. In Moses Lake, this could mean tribal leaders, pastors, nurses, and farmworkers helping shape the budget and priorities. 

Equity means recognizing different needs. The Indigenous communities would receive culturally rooted care, including traditional healing. Migrant workers access mobile clinics with multilingual staff. Tourists and undocumented individuals receive emergency care without fear or delay. 

There are no premiums, deductibles, or co-pays. Providers are salaried — not paid per procedure — ensuring care is driven by compassion, not quotas. 

The system invests in whole-person wellness: nutrition, housing, mental health, and spiritual care. Places of worship and community centers become hubs of healing. Volunteers, chaplains, and elders contribute in non-medical ways — just as Jesus empowered His disciples to serve. 

This isn’t just healthcare — it’s community care, modeled after the radical love of Jesus. It’s a system that heals the sick, uplifts the poor, and honors every person. In Moses Lake and beyond, it’s a vision worth building — not because it’s easy, but because it’s morally right. 

If Jesus walked among us today, He wouldn’t ask for an insurance card. He wouldn’t send a bill. He would simply say: “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” 

Duane Pitts 

Moses Lake