Posted: Sunday, April 6, 2008 10:00 pm
Doctors lose on Medicare
I disagree with your idea for a new law that doctors must not discriminate against anyone on the basis of government insurance.
No one is discriminating against them, but a physician, just like any other businessperson, deserves to be paid for what s/he does. Most physicians lose money each time they see a Medicare and Medicaid patient. Not trying to get rich on government plans, but at least we should break even. We can't lose money per patient and make up for it in volume.
And yes, for-profit insurers do negotiate prices, but they still are designed for the physicians to keep a practice open. Medicare doesn't negotiate. They set a rate, and the physician has to take it. So, the more medicare patients we see, the more we end up in the hole. A plumber will not survive that way, and neither will a physician.
The government already made it illegal to discriminate in medicine, and that is in the emergency room. Yep, that worked and we see everybody, regardless of ability to pay. But nationally, due to the economic loss, more ERs close every year.
If you want people with Medicare to have an easier time getting physicians, have the government pay a reasonable amount for services rendered. A restaurant must sell its product for more than the cost to produce it, or it closes. Same with physicians.
Russ McUne, M.D., Lebanon
Torture and the facts
I wonder where Larry Crompton gets his facts. He says that torture works sometimes. How does he know what episode of torture was the one bringing forth valid facts?
Vice President Cheney relied on the words of a victim of our torture, which we had farmed out to Egypt. This victim said that al-Qaida had been in Iraq prior to our invasion.
It took Cheney literally years to finally realize that this information was 100 percent wrong.
As has been said by many, we created more terrorists when we went into Iraq. As we can see, things in Afghanistan are getting worse due to our divided interest as to where to send our troops.
Joe Blankenbaker, Albany
Worth watching: Axmen
For those of you who aren't aware, there's an excellent show on the History Channel taking place on Sunday evenings. It's called Axmen, and it's happening not far from our homes here in the valley.
It's about the men who risk life, limb and brains to log our rugged forests. It might give you a greater appreciation for those who harvest our precious timber and what it takes to set chokers, bring down the big ones and climb 200 feet to top one. If you haven't been watching it, they replay missed episodes throughout the week. It goes without saying that if the History Channel is doing it, you know it's worth watching.
While on the subject, check out the movie "Sometimes a Great Notion," if you've never seen it. It's based on the book by Oregon's own Ken Kesey ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), who wrote about logging in Oregon. It's an excellent movie filmed here back in 1971 with Paul Newman, Henry Fonda and Lee Remick. You can still see the house they used on the Siletz River. Take Highway 229 from Kernville to Newport. It's on the west bank. Sorry, I can't remember the milepost.
I can still remember waking up to the clock radio almost 30 years ago to the news that a fellow graduate just the year before had been killed logging. Not the best way to wake up. His dad was at his side when it happened. It's a brutal way to make a living.
And for those of you who just can't bring yourself to see a tree chopped down, well, I'm a big fan of trees, too. There weren't too many I couldn't conquer as a kid.
But I'm also a big fan of my warm house and the paper I put in my printer.
Doug Klinkebiel, Lebanon
Enough of the slander and lies
Our election process has become a farce. It is no longer about electing a new president for our country. It has become a contest between "the color of skin versus gender." Both parties and supporters should be ashamed. And if we, the voters, cast votes because of skin color or gender, then we are contributing to that shame.
One side says she doesn't know what it's like being a black now under white man's rule. But, does he know what it's like being a female under the rule of men (since time began)? Obama will not (has not) faced our flag and said the Pledge of Allegiance or put his hand on the Bible while being sworn into office. His wife said she doesn't dislike this country as much as she used to.
Yes, they want to be president and first lady of this same country. What gall.
As for Mrs. Clinton deliberately lying to the voters about landing under fire in a foreign country, for shame. Don't you think Americans are fed up with lies, deceit and scandal due to those in our highest offices? And this had nothing to do with your gender. Both parties are saying it is OK to take and extract all the good possible from America, while giving back hate, slander, shame and disrespect.
We need to take back the running of our country and government. To be part of the cure, not the disease. We do need change, but not to divide and conquer. We must unite, be strong and once again be proud of America.
If our elected officials failed to do our will, give them the boot, show them the door. Just get rid of them. If we failed to do so, are we not enslaving ourselves? Remember that when you vote, neither color of skin nor gender alone make a president.
Sandra Hamilton, Lebanon