Letters to the Editor
New York Times
letters@nytimes.com
September 22, 2011
Dear Robert Pear,
Obama’s new plan to cut funding to Medicare and Medicaid received much
criticism. Opposition is much deserved. It will hurt beneficiaries, and
further cuts will only lead to many of them not being able to find a
doctor that will accept Medicare and Medicaid patients. Furthermore,
reductions to the funding of these programs will lead to less money being
put towards the hospitals, which spend much of their funding on salaries.
Reducing their funding will only lead to more layoffs, which is ironic if
you take into consideration Obama’s new jobs plan. If Obama wishes to
decrease health care spending, we need to be focusing on providing
incentives to providers for more efficiency and preventative care.
Improvements upon service delivery and educational reform will lead to a
healthier America and an overall decrease in health expenditures, thereby accomplishing his overarching goal. .
Sincerely,
Vanessa Ridley
Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/21/us/politics/wielding-the-ax-on-medicaid-and-medicare-without-wounding-the-patient.html
Monday, October 3, 2011
Experiment to Increase Health in Beach Cities
Dear Editor:
Today you reported that some beach cities have taken up a new experiment set to “improve the health of the entire region…by transforming homes, workplaces and schools.” I feel like this is a very authentic and constructive way to deal with the current healthcare issues at the local level. As a college student I think that this plan can really improve the community’s health, not only by potentially lowering costs of healthcare and hospital admissions, but also because it sets a great example for children the importance of being fit and eating healthy. My concern regarding this plan is that it takes a whole community to make this work since it involves the participation of many entities. Thus, the bigger the community, the harder it will be to get everyone on board. Perhaps something that could make a difference is having positive incentives to the entities involved through taxes or discounts.
Sincerely,
Miriam Torres Escobedo
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beach-cities-20111003,0,974917.story
Rx for the GOP: You should own universal healthcare
Letter to the Editor
Los Angeles Times
202 West 1st Street
Los Angeles, California, 90012
October 3, 2011
Dear Editor,
On October 3rd, in “Rx for the GOP: You should own universal healthcare” the issue of medical insurance and employment status was addressed. As an advocate of universal health care I agree that the GOP should embrace the idea more readily, not only to gain votes, but, more rationally, to increase overall health in the US. As mentioned, many people, 2/3 of the US population under 65 years of age, are insured through employer based insurance. However, it is important to recognize that although two-thirds of the population is insured through an employer-based insurance, 71% of the uninsured population lives in a household with at least one full-time worker. The statistics that many people opt into insurance through their job fails to assert that the majority of the uninsured have jobs (or are dependents of someone who works), meaning that employer-based insurance should be expanded and be made more accessible.
Because it is true that many Americans receive health care through their job, we should be able to build on this idea to create a solution to our broken health care system. Not all employers are required to offer insurance to their employees; however, I believe that mandating all employers to do so will slowly decrease the percentage of Americans who are uninsured, and thus increase overall health in the US, and eventually decreasing health care expenditures.
Sincerely,
Iliana Ponce
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Medicaid and undocumented immigrants
Letters to the Editor
New York Times
letters@nytimes.com
October 2, 2011
To the Editor:
“Stuck in Bed, at Hospital’s Expense” highlights the need for new health policies in relation to undocumented immigrants. Hospitals cannot keep losing money for treating patients that aren’t covered under Medicaid.
The biggest issue to tackle is extending health services to Mr. Fok and the millions of other illegal immigrants in this country. At the same time, we should be working towards documenting and legalizing these people. Mr. Fok’s low-income job with no insurance benefits led to poor eating habits and health issues that were not treated until his hemorrhagic stroke. The fear of exposing his undocumented family and their long workdays to support themselves led to an extended stay at New York Downtown with no one to claim him. Denial of Medicaid to undocumented immigrants combined with poor living and working conditions contributes to unattended health issues and, inevitably, more cases similar to Mr. Fok’s in the future.
Sincerely,
Crystal Ng
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/nyregion/stuck-in-bed-for-19-months-at-hospitals-expense.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
Individual insurance may have to cover maternity care
Letter to the Editor
Los Angeles Times
202 West 1st Street
Los Angeles, California, 90012
letters@latimes.com
Dear Editor,
On October 1 2011 the California bill SB 222 was discussed. This bill would require individual insurance plans to cover maternity costs. Currently, women who are self-employed or not covered through work have few options in maternity care. This is particularly interesting because one would assume that proper maternity care would be a health priority and several women initially assume they are covered. As a California citizen, I believe that proper prenatal care, labor and delivery, and neonatal care are necessary for a more equitable and positive community. Some people see this bill as unnecessary due to the Access for Infants and Mothers program. However, several choose to pay out of pocket fees so they can keep their current doctor and others simply spend their first few months panicking and trying to find insurance that will cover them. This stress and lack of care can hinder the future health of the child and mother. Therefore, some children face health inequity before they are even born. I believe the restricting or delaying of access is intolerable and that mandating that these women receive care would decrease poor health outcomes and attempt to remedy a social disparity.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-maternity-20111001,0,1594619.story
Response to "Free whooping cough vaccinations for students Monday"
Sacramento Bee
2100 Q Street
Sacramento, CA 95816-6899
viewpoints@sacbee.com
October 2, 2011
Dear Ms. Gutierrez:
While Anthem Blue Cross is improving healthcare access and keeping kids in school by providing this temporary free service for students, the single day clinic merely mends a morsel of our meager healthcare system. Of the 2,285 Sacramento students that are required vaccination, few will be able to receive care considering the obstacles imposed by schedule conflicts, transportation to the single site, and the fear of long queues resulting from staffing limitations. Moreover the uninsured target demographic that is vaccinated will have difficulty receiving proper follow-up care should complications arise.
Anthem should focus toward improving insurance affordability in their efforts to increase healthcare accessibility. Offering significantly discounted rates to students may be feasible in alleviating families’ overall healthcare expenses. In doing so, students and their families will acquire around-the-clock access to necessary vaccines and comprehensive care. In the long term, free clinics like this wouldn’t be necessary.
Sincerely,
Paolo Ferrer
This letter was written in response to:
Free whooping cough vaccinations for students Monday
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/09/30/3951536/free-whooping-cough-vaccinations.html
Depressed and unemployed
Letter to the Editor
Washington Post
letters@washpost.com
As a Public Health student, I am advocating for increased emotional support for the unemployed. Emotional support is linked to well-being (Burleson 2003). Unemployed readers of this article may feel solace in knowing that feelings of depression are normal. Yet, the article provides no solutions or hope for them. I propose that the unemployed re-integrate themselves into society by joining associations and community groups. Here, they can overcome the stigma, feel a sense of belonging, utility, and even create networks leading them into job opportunities.
Berkeley, CA
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