Richard Curtin, M.D.
Guest Opinion
Fort Meyers News-Press
May 7, 2009
This is in response to recent letters to the editor, which contain a number of points of misinformation regarding Medicare.
Medicare is not an example of socialized medicine, since the providers of care are not employed by the government.
The businesses are already shedding their health care insurance for employees as fast as they can and as the unemployed numbers increase, the numbers of people with health insurance will increase dramatically, already over 48 million.
The primary reason emergency rooms are filled with people is because of the people without health insurance usually cannot get care anywhere else.
Studies have shown that very little of the increase is caused by illegal immigrants since they avoid going there if at all possible.
Texas introduced caps on malpractice awards and it did little to change the rates of malpractice insurance premiums.
Total costs for medical care are approximately $8,000 per person in this country. Countries with single payer insurance usually pay about half of that. Our total costs are the highest in the industrialized the world.
By objective measurements of health care, we do not have the best care in the world. Yes, we have some of the best care but we rank about 37th in infant mortality, maternal mortality and have a lower longevity than many.
Medicare in this country allows free choice of physician, unless you join a Medicare Advantage plan run by an insurance company and then the plan may limit your choice.
I have met no one with Medicare who has chosen to give up Medicare to get their insurance in the private market.
Yes, it needs some improvement but is far superior to being without insurance or trying to pay thousands of dollars or not be able to get insurance otherwise.
A majority of physicians as well as a majority of citizens favor a single payer health care system on the basis of recent polls.
The Institute of Medicine estimates that about 20,000 people die each year in this country due to lack of health insurance.
In no other industrialized country can you lose you home, go bankrupt or die because you donĆ¢ā¬ā¢t have adequate health insurance.
About 50 percent of bankruptcies are due to medical bills.
Richard Curtin, M.D., resides in Fort Myers.