Business letters, Sepetmber 9

Published September 9, 2006 at midnight

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U.S. health care system cares little about health

The struggle between HealthOne and United Healthcare is a reminder that we are citizens of an economy before a democracy. With the advent of private health care, the public of the United States has been subject to a system that cares little about individual health. Those too poor to afford health insurance are blamed for the rising cost of health insurance while investors and CEOs skim the fat churned by middle-class Americans. The affliction of our health care system is eloquently displayed by our state's health care struggle over rates and terms. Insurance companies generate returns for their investors through taking from Americans who can afford health care and not fairly reimbursing hospitals and doctors for their services.

The result exploits the common American and rewards company owners who care little about the common good.

As Americans we spend a much greater percentage of our GDP on health care than do other countries that provide government-subsidized health care, with comparable outcomes. We need to be reminded that, without change, companies such as United Healthcare will go on profiting from an arrangement that benefits from the dogma of the citizenry and the lack of a government that is interested in public health.

Nicholas Bishop

Brighton

Time to say 'enough!' to health care debacle

So United Healthcare finally says to HealthOne, "enough."

It is about time! Now if only Health- One will just cut back on its construction program and start telling those greedy pharmaceutical companies "enough" and suggest they might cut out their advertising budget.

Since we citizen consumers get to pay the entire bill for the whole health care debacle, let us seize every opportunity to tell our elected officials we have had enough. Protect us from those who call themselves our friends but kill us with their bills.

If greedy doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, health insurers and malpractice attorneys cannot or will not clean up their acts and provide affordable health care to all Americans, then nationalize the system. A poor system is better than none. I know, I had to let my own health insurance go because of the obscene cost of $14,000 per year for "low-cost" insurance. ENOUGH!!

Steve Willner

Denver

UAW, GM analogy works, but stakes weren't as high

Thanks to Rob Reuteman for concluding his column last week ("Health care squabble like UAW vs. GM of old") with the appropriate emphasis that this current predicament leaves 800,000 Coloradans displaced from what they came to expect in their health care. There is currently insufficient capacity in the existing Colorado hospitals to provide for all the services that these patients will need. This will result in inefficiencies, delays and compromised care.

Of course, powerful business entities have in the past reached a contractual impasse. The United Auto Workers and GM strikes may be a good example. But what is at stake is vastly different. In the automobile industry, the eventual casualty of such a stalemate is a more expensive car price. In the delivery of health care, the burden is felt by the patient in the form of less access, prolonged pain, human worry and the insidious progression of an ailment (to name a few). That is why all members of the health care community (health insurance companies and hospitals included) must care more about their corporate stewardship than automobile makers and other typical consumer businesses.

In the past, federal mediators would "lock the door" on embattled parties until a resolution was reached. With so much at stake, we should expect United Healthcare and HealthOne to do so on their own accord. This elevated level of responsibility and commitment is the price all of us who care for the health of our neighbors must pay.

Dr. Alan Synn

president, Denver Medical Society

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