Readers respond to Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s editorial,
'Health Care Reform: The Cure Shouldn’t be Worse Than the Problem'

At least be honest

As a practicing physician and a small business owner of the Kern River Valley, I was intrigued by your editorial in our local newspaper. While I agree that changes need to be made in our health care system in order for it to survive, I find it shameless of you to continue to shill for the insurance companies and Pharma which have gotten us into this mess.

Your assertion that the CBO suggested that the Pelosi healthcare bill would not control health care costs is quite misleading since there is no Pelosi health care bill. And as you are well aware, without the Public Option cost will certainly continue to rise at an unsustainable 12 percent per year.

Congressman, at least be honest in this public debate. I will gladly discuss my experiences as a doctor on the front lines in a public or private setting.

Dr. Robert Gross/Board Member KVHD

McCarthy's mind already made up

Regarding Kevin McCarthy’s “fact” about Canadian babies born in Buffalo, I called Buffalo News about a July 2 story about ONE infant receiving treatment (not born) because of a shortage of neonatal beds at a Hamilton, Ontario hospital. Public relations spokesperson at Women & Children’s Hospital in Buffalo indicates the hospital has an agreement with Hamilton’s McMaster Children’s Hospital to take neonatals when McMaster exceeds its 47 neo-natal beds.

According to the spokesperson, about one child per month from Canada is treated at the Buffalo Hospital – a total of 14 treated in 2008. Hamilton’s population is 714,900; Buffalo’s population is 279,745. It is not unusual for hospitals in smaller cities to assist hospitals in larger cites. Also, per Imaginis, the Women’s Health Resource online, the UK has breast cancer survival rate of 72.5 percent; the US has 78.5 percent rate – hardly a significant difference. Regarding prostate cancer, the US has higher detection rate than the UK and has 15-year survival rate of 76 percent; the UK has 71 percent survival rate, but I’ll admit accurate data is a challenge to locate online. Regarding that “independent research firm” named Lewin, per a July 22 article in Washington Post, that “independent” firm is totally owned by United Health Group, one of the nation’s largest health insurers – hardly an “independent” group. Did McCarthy check his “facts?” Why a “town meeting” when McCarthy has already decided NOT to support a public option?

Al Steuart/Wofford Heights

Private insurance companies control healthcare

McCarthy attacks the proposed Public Option which would exist along with private, for-profit, health insurance saying, “We need to protect the choice of individuals and families when it comes to choosing doctors and treatment.” He says government would have “more control over our heath care” and the Public Option would mean “not getting treatment at all because the government made a cost-cutting decision.”

Who controls selection of doctors and treatments and limits and denies care now? Your private insurance (if you have one) has these controls. You must consult only the doctors on a list. The treatments and medications allowed and the number of days in hospital are determined by the insurance company. Insurance companies control health care by refusing coverage or canceling the policy when they suspect a prior condition caused the present problem.

Private insurance companies control who gets health care by charging rates beyond the reach of many and insuring only the young and healthy, rejecting the old or those with a history of illness.

These companies make huge profits, pay extremely high executive salaries, reward employees for denying claims and have overhead costs far exceeding Medicare.

My now-retired physician husband spent many hours weekly arguing with insurance company clerks for coverage of necessary treatments, medications and hospital days. He had insurance companies change the diagnosis on claims he submitted so he would get lesser reimbursement for care he provided.

Mr. McCarthy criticizes the current heath care reform efforts as “rushed debate” and “ramming through...legislation”. Health care reform was first proposed nearly 100 years ago by Teddy Roosevelt and supported by FDR, Truman, Kennedy, LBJ, Clinton and, now, Obama.  That doesn’t sound like a rush!

Jacqueline P. Morgan/Kernville