Kaiser is good, but we need health care reform

This is regarding Ed Walters' letter of Aug. 26.

We also are Kaiser members. You are one of the many lucky ones who have their membership through a group plan — unlike us, who are self-payees. I alone pay $540 per month; a co-pay of $25 per doctor; $10 each blood and lab work; $50 for CT, MRI Scan; $200 per day for hospital stay; and $10 for generic drug, or $35 for name brand. I do agree that Kaiser has everything under one roof, and any doctor can pull up your record on the computer for reference.

I am the first to say we need some kind of health reform because of the high costs, but not what Obama is trying to shove down out throats. Last year, between my husband and myself, we paid over $9,000 in premiums and co-pays. My husband is on Senior Advantage, but I'm not there yet. We have been satisfied with Kaiser, but wish we could have it across state lines, too. When we're in Arizona, we have to travel back to California for treatment. Kaiser is very successful.

Sheila Butler
Lodi

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mainframe wrote on Sep 8, 2009 12:30 AM:

" dogs4you: So what's wrong with working in construction? "

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dogs4you wrote on Sep 7, 2009 10:34 AM:

" JRK, the upper echelon was ment as a compliment, while not always agreeing with you, the way you put your posts together shows you are more that a blue collar worker. Now don`t go and prove me wrong by telling me you worked construction.

According to Charles Krauthammer this morning, Obama`s house of cards continues to fall, with the help of Reid and Pelosi. "

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Jerome R. Kinderman wrote on Sep 7, 2009 8:39 AM:

" dogs4you - precisely what "upper echelon" do you believe I occupy?

My wonderment regarding our representatives, while somewhat sarcastic, still exists to the point that so many are continuously duped by these men and women as they promise the moon yet deliver little or nothing once they've gotten the prize.

Still, I suppose I'm somewhat still idealistic enough to believe that maybe soon someone will actually be worthy of the offices to which they are elevated. I know - silly me. "

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jeff wrote on Sep 6, 2009 7:48 PM:

" are we talking about health care costs or health insurance costs? insurance costs are going up, reimbursements are going down, along with coverage, but insurance profits are increasing by huge amounts. why do we even allow insurance companies to get in the middle of people and health care so they can make trillions off us and US? we've been dealing with beauracrats making decisions about our likfe and death procedures for years, even decades. All for the sake of profits. "

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tosh conn wrote on Sep 6, 2009 5:43 PM:

" Whenever I hear people squeeling about the cost of health care, what they really want is the rest of us to pick up [socialize, nationalize] their costs and spread it around so we all pay more so their health care is cheaper. Sheila, you are no different. "

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dogs4you wrote on Sep 5, 2009 4:37 PM:

" I would suggest Ms. Butler do a Google search, I did and found 44 Doctor`s in Arizona that will accept Kaiser Permanente patients. 16 in Phoenix alone, other around the state. "

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dogs4you wrote on Sep 5, 2009 1:28 PM:

" Jerome, you being in the upper echelon, I`m surprised you made the statement that you WONDER as to the competence of those we elected to serve us. That has been on my mind since I was old enough to vote, still haven`t found the right man for the job, though Ronald Reagan came close. Instead of raising taxes, he lowered them, allowing more people to have more money to by more stuff.

As far as reform is concerned, allow the insurance companies to make a certain amount, say a 10% profit.

Funion, you put the Democratics and the people in the same sentence, more like the Demo`s and the unions, what`s left of them. As I stated, allow the big insurance compaines to make a certain amount of profit, the gouging as you call it would stop. They could make a profit, make the stock holders some what happen, therefore bringing down the cost to the average American. Still 1.8 trillion dollars will be a hard sell for children`s children who have yet to be born to still be paying on. "

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kota wrote on Sep 5, 2009 1:02 PM:

" I have looked at the bill and have found a minimum of twenty pages that contain ambiguous statements that are left totally open to interperation. With that being the situation I feel they need to honestly clarify the intent of their proposal and be more specific and so far I have not seen that done. The rumors that these statements are generating are negative and distrustful, that needs to be corrected. No one on either side can make a decision on open-ended statements or relying on reading betweent the lines to see what is not in it. My openion right now is that the bill contains some very severe problems but that is just my openion. They have been trying to get government health insurance since the 1930's and they still haven't done it, so they need to do it right.. "

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funyon wrote on Sep 5, 2009 9:08 AM:

" WE NEED REFORM. We're being ripped off by companies and if the right wing can't come up with any ideas for a fix too bad. The Democrats will--again put the average person first and reign in the insurance crooks. Come on Republicans, what is your solution............???????? The system has to be fixed--it cannot be sustained. If you don't see this your idiots. "

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Jerome R. Kinderman wrote on Sep 5, 2009 8:00 AM:

" Well, that's a rather novel idea, kota. Why not just download the bill and take a quick look-see? At least until just a short time ago you're pretty much in the same boat as those who are attempting to ram this down the throats of all Americans. But I wonder how you would have been able to determine what is a rumor based upon your admission that you don't know what is actually going on.

Nevertheless, you need to arm yourself with more information than what is contained in the bill itself. Much of what is not there is equally (if not more) important as what is in it. Also keep in mind that the fight right now is over the Senate version of the healthcare project; the House has been adamant that a "public option" must be included for it to pass there. The water is getting muddier with each passing day.

And now I've read that the White House may forego everything that has been offered thus far and just offer its own healthcare reform proposal. It makes me wonder as to the competence of those we elected to serve us. "

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kota wrote on Sep 5, 2009 7:47 AM:

" I totally agree with you. My problem is that I have not seen exactly what Obama is trying to push thru. All I have heard is rumors, not facts and most of the rumors are negative. I would like to read exactly what is going on. "

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