Re "Republican 'fiscal cliff' plan sets up showdown" (Page A7, Dec. 4): Cutting Medicare benefits is not the answer. Decreasing care leads to more hospital admissions, sicker patients and increased costs. Cutting benefits while allowing huge expenses of our For-Profit health care system run unfettered, is the wrong approach.
A huge pharmaceutical industry and medico-legal system are unconstrained. CEO's and shareholders of hospitals and healthcare plans, are earning billions from our for-profit health care system. Profitable high cost medical expenses are covered but not prevention
Decreasing payments to doctors, who are already having to turn away medicare patients, doesn't save. Patients get sicker, end up in emergency rooms, costs increase.
And those who profit from people being sick, and from our for-profit health care system, continue to make money. And do not want to make changes.
Most doctors support what I am saying. Most of us came to help and this situation is frustrating and heartbreaking.
-- Billie Harman, Carmichael
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