Concerning the decision by Richard Cooper and The Everett Clinic to kick a few seniors and disabled to the curb to increase the bottom line (Sept. 24 guest commentary, “Redesigning Medicare to add value“):
I have been a patient and client there for 25 years. I have not found any reason to criticize the care received there. I foolishly thought it was the best care.
It is a great disappointment to learn that the best care is reserved for those wealthy enough to pay for the select advantage plans advertised in the clinics, not for ordinary seniors on Medicare.
Perhaps the clinic CEOs did not want to restrict and refuse care arbitrarily to maintain their salary and advertising perks, so they selected insurance plans to do it for them. It is documented that United Health Care Secure Horizons only pays for their contracted services 62 percent of the time and hires reams of docs to deny patients life-saving care.
Extortion used to be against the law, but now it is just part of medical practice. Who has money to fight it?
Joan Bethel
Marysville
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