Better care, but only Medicare saves

In response to your Friday editorial, “Everett Clinic improves care while cutting costs”: What a remarkable health care conundrum we have in our country. The Everett Clinic is lauded for improving care and cutting costs? Exactly whose costs were cut? After spending $18 million on an electronic medical record, the clinic is able to save Medicare nearly $1.6 million while the clinic loses an additional $7.6 million providing that care! The $250,000 award is paltry indeed.

Our federal government expects the private health-care industry to supplement every single Medicare visit. The Everett Clinic did improve care, but only Medicare saved money in the process. Medicare (and the feds) can’t expect higher and higher quality while reimbursing less and less. Those in danger of being bankrupt are those few providers of health care still treating Medicare patients.

Michael McDonald

Bothell