We have the resources to fix the health system

I found the Nov. 1 article "Medicare Advantage Could Lose Some Luster" to be very timely and informative.

The article raised the possibility that the current health plan overhaul may force cuts in these plans. The article quoted a high-ranking executive from one of our most dominant health insurers as indicating that the possible cuts could be dealt with in one of three ways: increased premiums, increased cost-sharing or reduced benefits (or a combination of all three).

I am here to report that my Medicare Advantage provider is already ahead of the game. My 2010 premiums have increased more than 29 percent, the cost of all 22 categories of medical and drug coverage referenced increased and, in some cases, the benefits were reduced. It should be noted that the cost of my Medicare Advantage plan also increased 12 percent in 2009 and 32 percent in 2008. My guess is that this trend is true for most of the other health-care insurance providers (both Medicare Advantage and other plans).

The purpose of this note is not to complain about the skyrocketing cost, but rather to point out that the overall health-care system is already broken and definitely needs to be fixed.

I know the problem is complex and encompasses many different areas (hospitals, the medical profession, lack of coverage for millions of Americans, tort reform, misuse of emergency rooms, the "not me" syndrome when it comes to paying our fair share, etc.).

However, I also know that America is a truly great country, and if we could forget about the politics of the day and truly utilize the combined resources at our disposal, we could end up with a world-class solution to a very serious problem.

JACK PHILIPS
Shaler

UPMC's failure

Shame on UPMC for closing UPMC Braddock hospital. This is a great loss to the entire Mon Valley. My family, many of my friends and I have depended on the Braddock hospital over the years. To lose such a facility in our community is devastating, especially for the elderly who have come to depend on this hospital for its proximity to their homes.

Since our county and local representatives are willing to work with UPMC to save the hospital, UPMC officials should be more open and willing in trying to find a solution to keeping the hospital open. If the Braddock hospital has been losing money over the years as UPMC indicates, then why didn't UPMC identify and rectify the hospital's problems years ago?

The downfall of the Braddock hospital didn't just happen. It's never too late to save this great community institution. I and many others are disappointed in UPMC for its decision to close UPMC Braddock, and when it closes, we intend to utilize the West Penn/Allegheny General Health System.

So farewell to the Braddock hospital and good riddance to UPMC!

SHARON MORGANO
North Versailles

Distancing itself

UPMC plans to build a hospital east of Pittsburgh in an area already served by a fine hospital -- a hospital of a competitor -- while at the same time our community hospitals on the South Side and in Braddock are closed.

I'm sure these moves make "bottom line" sense to the boardroom, but in the communities there is the death of an old, faithful friend to be mourned, jobs lost or moved and a mark of identity for the community wiped out.

This all seems to be another example of the distance between the "haves" of society and the rest of us. This is but a mirror reflection of the distance we see in the bailout of Wall Street. Their sense of commonweal is lacking. 'Tis a sad episode in the history of UPMC.

REV. WILLIAM H. THOMAS
Pastor
The First United Presbyterian Church of Boston
Elizabeth Township

The big picture

While I, like everyone else, love cheering for the underdog, I find myself in a situation where I cannot. I am writing in response to the Nov. 2 column by Ruth Ann Dailey ("Did UPMC Set Up Braddock to Fail?") and numerous other pieces chastising UPMC for its decision to close its Braddock campus.

The criticism is that by closing the Braddock hospital UPMC did not act as a community-centered charity but rather as a business-minded corporation. Since UPMC acquired Braddock Medical Center in 1996, it poured millions of dollars into the facility. If UPMC intended for Braddock to fail, the aforementioned action certainly was not a business-savvy decision.

People get angry when "not-for-profits" make money, particularly when they make a lot of it. The term not-for-profit does not mean that the organization should not generate excess revenue. It means excess revenue must be reinvested in the organization, not distributed to individuals for personal gain. A not-for-profit, just like any business, will cease to exist without net income. How would UPMC be able to build the new Children's Hospital and create hundreds of new jobs if it did not make any profit? UPMC is Pittsburgh's second-largest employer. Profit has to be on its priority list or the jobs of thousands of Pittsburghers would be in jeopardy.

We should not punish UPMC for its success. While I empathize with the community of Braddock, the decision to close the hospital is best for Pittsburgh in the big picture.

JESSICA FURNIER
Bloomfield

We know it as Grant

This is in regard to Donn Neal's interesting history lesson to probably most of our area's citizens, relating to us that our very own Grant Street in Downtown Pittsburgh was named for the less-than-stellar British military commander James Grant, who happened to fight a battle in its vicinity way back when ("Let's Call It Steel Avenue," Nov. 1 Forum).

Mr. Neal's suggestion was that most of our citizenry had thought all these many years that the street was named for Ulysses S. Grant, one of our American heroes and 18th president of the United States, and thus were comfortable with the name. Now Mr. Neal would like to have the street renamed Steel Avenue in honor of the steel industry, which made Pittsburgh famous world-over and provided a way of life for most of our folks in one way or another for many lifetimes.

My thoughts are that Pittsburghers probably never gave much thought to how Grant Street got its name. They just were happy to know it as a familiar name they could count on for getting or giving nearby directions or to work in one of the many skyscrapers along it. People know it as the place to seek out for their jury duty or court appearances and in more recent years for finding the first "T" stop Downtown so they could easily traverse our city.

I think we Pittsburghers have known it so well in the past century as Grant Street that it should remain as such. Perhaps putting a "U.S." prefix on the books to honor Ulysses S. would solve Mr. Neal's cry for justice, and it could then still be called good old Grant Street.

JANET M. BABSKI
North Fayette

Final, loving votes from our friends and neighbors

Election Day had always been a long, hard-working family event that we would look forward to year after year. This Election Day, however, was to be the saddest and most difficult we've faced.

The matriarch of our family, Rose Marie, who was the judge of elections at our voting district and worked 13 hours every Election Day, passed away on Aug. 16 ("Longtime Democratic Committeewoman and Volunteer," Aug. 20 news obituary). It was her year to be re-elected and her name was still on the ballot. As her loved ones, we were able to cast a final vote for Rose, to show our love.

That night, when reviewing the vote count, to our surprise, Rose Marie Motznik received 106 votes, 80 percent of the vote in the district -- our friends and neighbors had also cast one final vote to show their love.

What a heartwarming feeling to see that she had touched so many people over the years. And what a positive way to close one of the saddest days of our lives.

Thank you to the people of the 19th Ward -- 31st District; your vote for our mother will never be forgotten.

JIM and MARY MOTZNIK
Brookline

City Councilman Jim Motznik and his wife wrote this letter on behalf of the Motznik family.

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