Medicare for all would work only with priority changes

Ironically, on the same day I read Dr. Bill Wood's commentary "Medicare for All" (Sept. 13 Midweek Perspectives), I received a copy of Surgery News with the headline "CMS [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] Proposes 5.1 Percent Physician Pay Cut for 2007."

As much as I agree with Dr. Wood's assessment of our current medical system, powered by insurance giants making huge profits from our work and our patients' premiums, I hesitate supporting a public single-payer system that will continue to cut physician reimbursement.

Currently, physicians cannot afford to accept new Medicare patients -- how will it be if all patients were covered by government insurance? It would drive many physicians out of practice.

Likely, this system works well in other countries because other governments actually make health care and education a priority.

We have an administration and a Congress that are more willing to use taxpayer money for funding large, flat-screen TVs for Halliburton employees in Iraq to watch the Super Bowl than fund me to order a CT scan on my patient for abdominal pain or perform a physical and a skin biopsy on my elderly patient at the same visit.

Before I can support Dr. Wood's proposal, I have to see some big changes in our government priorities. As an American people, if we really want quality health care for all, then we must go to the polls and prove it.

VERONICA SANTEE, M.D.
West View

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Not the answer

One of the main flaws in Dr. Bill Wood's piece calling for "Medicare for All" can be found in the same day's paper on Page A-6. There, in a story from The Washington Post, we hear once again that Medicare is running out of money and raising premiums ("Medicare Premiums Rise 5.6 Percent for Most," Sept. 13). The same article tells us that healthy seniors are expected to start opting out of Medicare, leaving behind only the sickest/poorest and further raising the program's costs. It doesn't begin to get into other problems, such as the fact that thousands of doctors are likely to stop accepting Medicare in the next few years as Medicare payments drop by more than 20 percent.

"Medicare for All" is a terrible idea when the Medicare we have now is falling apart. This past year, I served as one of many national spokespeople for Cover the Uninsured Week, and I agree with Dr. Wood that we face a crisis in American health care. We do need a new system, but a single-payer "solution" would leave us sicker and worse off than we are now. We'd replace uncaring, unresponsive health insurers with uncaring, unresponsive government agencies.

There are better options, ways that force insurers to actually serve patients and keep us healthy in order to earn our precious health-care dollars. Those solutions are more complicated, but that's the choice we have -- between a solution that's complex and will work and the single-payer idea that's simple but wrong.

ALIK WIDGE
Squirrel Hill

The writer is a University of Pittsburgh medical student.

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Hearings can't wait

After reading the article "Transit Hearings on Possible Fare Increases Shift into Reverse: State, County Want Port Authority to Wait" (Sept. 16), I am flustered, irritated and angry.

The ease local and state politicians display when shoving the voice of bus and trolley riders to the sidelines is not surprising. If the Pennsylvania Legislature had approved a dedicated, predictable and reliable source of public funding for public transit five years ago, we would not be in a situation where we will yet again be providing personal testimony in front of employees of the Port Authority and other leaders.

It is unreasonable for the county and state to ask the Port Authority to postpone public hearings when service cuts and fare increases will go into effect in January if no dedicated state funding is approved.

Waiting until after the election and after the report from the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission to be delivered will be too late to adequately prepare the public. Let's not forget that it is the public's interest at stake, not the local and state government employees. The commission has worked very hard on this report, but there is no guarantee that the legislators receiving it will pro-actively support a dedicated and predictable source of public funding.

It is imperative that bus and trolley riders' comments are heard sooner rather than later. After all, why should the voters believe that the Legislature is ready to approve dedicated funding now, when it has been in hibernation for the majority of the funding crisis?

AMANDA ZEIDERS
Bloomfield

The writer is chairman of Save Our Transit.

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Mean cartoon

Rob Rogers' Sept. 20 editorial cartoon was a vile attempt to demean Sen. Rick Santorum. The central message of Mr. Rogers' cartoon is that in allowing his campaign to use a political advertisement that shows Mr. Santorum along with his family, the senator has done something wrong.

Surely, if there were an award for the most shrill, partisan and twisted rendering of an innocent campaign ad, Mr. Rogers would win it. I think that despite Mr. Rogers' attempt to frame the Santorum family campaign ad in the most mean-spirited light possible, the ad is likely to resonate with most Pennsylvanians precisely because they are both pro-family and fair-minded.

KENNETH BRINZER
Penn Hills

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Have some faith

I am writing in response to John Machado's Sept. 15 letter ("For the Children"). He states, "I'll vote for Bob Casey, and, if the final tallies are honest and real on Election Day, we can all look forward to better handling of government business."

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that he feels that if Mr. Casey doesn't win the election, it must have been rigged. I hope that the rest of us have more confidence in our election officials. If not, why vote?

I will cast my vote on Election Day and accept the results whatever they may be, whether I like them or not, and go on with my life. There is always the next election.

JACK HATHAWAY
North Huntingdon

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Potential cash cow

I couldn't believe my eyes last week as I watched the police actually stop one of the hundreds of drivers every day who speed through the red light inbound on Fifth and Bellefield avenues in Oakland.

In my 17 years at Pitt crossing that street daily, dodging the speeding cars (I've seen as many as six cars zip through that red light at once) and trying to stay alive, I've wondered why the city of Pittsburgh didn't permanently post a policeman at that corner to scoop in the fines.

Cash flow from this one intersection would positively impact the city's budget.

JOHN GOLDSMITH
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Music Department
University of Pittsburgh
Oakland

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Great to be back

After living in California for six years, I moved back to my hometown of Pittsburgh. Running the Great Race 10K was a way of celebrating my homecoming. The enthusiasm and courtesy of the runners, the encouragement along the way by fellow 'Burghers and the excitement of heading toward the finish line amid friendly cheers were a big "Welcome Home!"

The Great Race helps to remind me that when you're from Pittsburgh, there truly is "no place like home"!

KATIE ANDRASKO
Brookline

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Perhaps it's Bush who should stop spewing the same old rhetoric

It is ironic that Roy Leuch accuses the PG editorial board of sounding like a broken record about George W. Bush's speech on Sept. 11 (Sept. 18 letters), because Mr. Leuch himself appears to be oblivious to Mr. Bush's clearly broken record regarding his war and his policies.

"Cut and run" is the highly misleading and inaccurate catch phrase that is leveled against anyone and everyone who disagrees with or questions this president's actions. The PG typically presents fair assessments and gives credit where due and appropriate, but it doesn't subscribe to the storied "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

Mr. Leuch implores the PG to "get a new line and ... a better idea." All right: If Mr. Bush ever stops his continuously false and insulting broken record to the American people, the PG will report it. If the "same old" remains the "same old," I trust the editorial board will do its readers the service of continuing to call it as it is.

DIANE MOUSSEAU
Plum

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