Dear Editor: Do I have this correct?

Greg Lopez was suffering from “severe abdominal pain and cramps” through a month-long waiting period and is upset that the doctor only saw him for “less than four minutes,” and essentially told him to take two aspirin, drink plenty of water, and get a good night’s rest? (“Bad Doctors,” Letters to the Editor, 6/26/14) Is that about it?

If Greg’s problem was so severe, he should have visited the emergency room when the symptoms presented themselves. If he survived for a month waiting for his appointed visit, he was wasting the doctor’s time – and now he knows how much that time is worth.

Greg is lucky his HMO doesn’t disallow the charges and have him pay directly – as they should.

Drew Kelley

Downey

 

Dear Editor:

I am so sorry Greg Lopez’s concerns were not validated. I hope he is OK. To dismiss his concerns as stress is not OK.

But I think the greater problem is not with the doctors but with the corporate healthcare system. Did you hear Stephen Helmsley of United Healthcare Group made a salary of $3.3 million last year?

He also made stock gains of $96.6 million. In that one year his compensation rounds out to $102 million Now who is making money from this?

Not us. Our emergency rooms are full every night. We dance around here wondering if someone will pay us. We have to make a choice. What are we willing to pay for healthcare for our people?

Should we use that money to fight another useless war that we cannot hope to pay for? Or should we use that money to provide healthcare to our veterans and young people? You decide.

Let’s get the politicians and corporate America out of this mix. If we do that then we can provide healthcare for all our people.

Just simply, it’s the right thing to do. Medicare for all.

Margaret Hittinger

Downey

 

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Published: July 3, 2014 - Volume 13 - Issue 12