Berkshire Eagle
Letters
12/4/07
I read Dr. Susanne King’s account of Blue Cross Blue Shield executive William C. Van Fassen’s $16.4 million retirement package and $3 million salary with a combination of astonishment, outrage, anger, and disgust. (“Our health care dollars at work,” op-ed, Nov. 28).
Individuals, businesses, and town governments throughout the state paid our hard-earned dollars to fund Mr. Van Fassen’s package. But on reflection, we also owe Mr. Van Fassen our thanks for showing us so dramatically how insurance companies create an unnecessary layer of administrative costs as they skim money away from patient care.
Mr. Van Fassen’s outrageous income also demonstrates how our current health care reform strategy is destined to fail. Already over $100 million short of funds, insurance company executives can still divert money away from patient care and into their own pockets. As long as we have a system that includes insurance companies, money will continued to be channeled into executive salaries and other administrative expenses that do nothing to improve anyone’s health.
I agree with Dr. King and the majority of doctors in Massachusetts that we need to eliminate the multiple insurance companies and have a “single-payer” to take in our health care funds and distribute them to the providers of health care. I plan to contact my legislators about my support for single-payer, and I hope others in our community do so as well.
RICHARD M. BERLIN, M.D.
Lenox