Writer wonders about health care

To The Eagle:

What’s all the commotion on healthcare about? I remember when we worked, so much was taken out of our paychecks for SS, Medicare and Federal. Then we had up to three options of what type of health benefits we could choose from, Kaiser, Blue Cross, etc. Have the companies stopped providing health benefits? If so, why? Is it because the government taxed them so much with fees and regulations that they could no longer provide decent health benefits for its employees?

I understand those with health issues need some type of health insurance to help cover the expenses they cannot afford. But to make mandatory for all to pay monthly healthcare just to take care of people’s health issues in addition to their own does not dound reasonable or right.

In my opinion, healthcare should be an option. We should be able to have the freedom of choice if want to have healthcare or not. When we buy a house or car, we make monthly payments with interest. Why not apply the same to doctor’s appointments or hospital emergencies and surgeries?

The pharmaceutical corporations make humongous profits by controlling the cost of prescriptions. Just like house and auto insurance; who profits from it? (I’m not talking about agents.)

Those are the issues that need to be brought out. To have the government control healthcare and make it mandatory for all to pay a monthly fee is not the answer. We have enough expenses in our lives to pay: Mortgage, property tax, house insurance, rent, car payments, auto insurance, electricity, water, sewer, septic, phone, internet, cable, food, gas, maintenances. The list seems never ending and not much left to put aside for entertainment unless you’re very wealthy. I dare say many use charge cards for entertainment instead of cash. That’s sad. Thank goodness I’m retired on SS and have Medicare, but just enough to eke out an okay living as long as they don’t raise prices.

Toni Below

Cathlamet