The Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta. Credit: Terry Ross via Flickr

Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to letters@bangordailynews.com

I’m 57 years old and, like U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner, I receive healthcare through the Veterans Administration. Experiencing the VA system has shown me firsthand how truly life-changing universal healthcare could be for all Mainers.

Before I gained VA coverage, losing everything meant losing access to care. I put off doctor visits, ignored warning signs, and watched my health decline because I simply couldn’t afford help. When I learned that my military service made me eligible for full VA coverage, everything changed. Suddenly, I could get the care I needed — no red tape, no impossible bills, no painful trade-offs between health and rent.

That freedom restored my health, my stability, and my peace of mind. It allowed me to be present for my six children — to be the healthy, active father they deserve.

Every Mainer should have that same chance. Universal healthcare would give our neighbors the same security veterans experience through the VA: the ability to live, work, and care for their families without fear of medical bankruptcy.

That’s why I’m proud to support Graham Platner. He understands this not as a theory, but from lived experience. If elected, I believe he will fight to make universal healthcare a reality — and Maine can lead the nation in showing that caring for everyone isn’t just possible, it’s transformative.

Keith Wright

Hermon

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