ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 20, 1996 TAG: 9602200016
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
IN RESPONSE to Dr. James Holman's Feb. 4 commentary, ``Four reasons to like managed care'':
I'd like to mention four reasons not to like it.
Managed care is being billed as the answer to health-care reform, yet it doesn't address the real problems with our health-care system: lack of insurance for the poor and unemployed, and excessive profits to insurance companies, hospitals and nursing homes.
Managed care views medicine as a business like any other business. Success is measured in terms of profits, corporate growth and market share, with no special ethical requirements. Health care should always be bound by ethical rules more stringent than those applied to business.
Managed care effectively destroys the physician-patient relationship. Capitation will force physicians to see more patients and spend less time with each individual. Physicians will be faced with making decisions as to whether to tell patients that potentially useful treatment is available, but is being withheld by their managed-care contract.
As a medical technologist working in a physician-office laboratory, I'm concerned about what will happen to laboratory medicine.
Managed care will encourage the use of large, consolidated, extremely automated, referral laboratories. No longer will physicians have results available to them before the patient leaves the office, and patients will not have the comfort of knowing their laboratory tests have been performed by people who know and care about them.
PAULA M. BITTINGER
BENT MOUNTAIN
Looking over the GOP lineup
NOW THAT the pundits have spoken (and spoken), I thought you may be interested in one reader's evaluation of the leading candidates vying for the Republican presidential nomination.
Pat Buchanan: Tough-looking, scrappy-speaking Irishman. Should carry more of the Catholic vote than Kennedy.
Lamar Alexander: Who is he kidding? Nobody named Lamar wears a red-checkered lumberjack's shirt.
Bob Dole: Where is it written that we are supposed to take turns?
Steve Forbes: Can't figure out whether the flat tax will leave me, the government or both flat broke. Don't think it will hurt him and the country-club set.
Dick Lugar: Dick who?
SANFORD GROSS
CHRISTIANSBURG
Voters will support Goodlatte's views
JENNI NOLEN criticized Congressman Bob Goodlatte's pro-life voting record (Jan. 12 letter to the editor, ``Goodlatte's dubious distinction''). Goodlatte's voting record complements his good character and his respect for the life of innocent unborn babies. Nolen tries to justify the sinful act of abortion by suggesting the use of fetal tissue for treating Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Who with a good conscience toward God would want to be a recipient of fetal tissue at the expense of terminating the life of an innocent unborn baby?
Fortunately, a high percentage of citizens are fed up with Planned Parenthood and the abortion clinics that receive millions of dollars each year for the business of destroying life. Those who believe in Christian and moral principles this country was founded on will again elect Goodlatte and other candidates who support standards that are vital to the survival of our great nation.
ERNESTINE B. FRITH
RADFORD
County's seniors need a tax break
I MUST applaud my fellow residents of Roanoke County for their letters to the editor concerning taxes (David S. Courey's Jan. 6 letter, ``County taxes are already too high,'' and Myron C. White Jr.'s Jan. 31 letter, ``County can't justify more tax increases'').
The county seems to go overboard with all charges. The cost of water and sewer is exorbitant and still rising, and a real-estate tax rate of $1.13 per $100 of assessed value is considerably higher than surrounding counties. As if that isn't enough, county officials are threatening to once again increase our tax rate to $1.15.
Maybe this doesn't seem like much to some, but I'm still in shock after our last real-estate tax assessment. In the past three years my assessment increased an average of 3 percent. The most recent increase was a whopping 10 percent - an increase of $100 per year! The county should impose a tax in a form that all county residents can share, not just homeowners.
I'm retired and living on a fixed income. I think the county has completely forgotten its senior citizens. Please give us a break!
BETTY C. EAST
ROANOKE
LENGTH: Medium: 97 linesby CNB