THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 3, 1996 TAG: 9608300001
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 22 lines
On Sept. 6, Trigon Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Virginia will have a meeting at which its policyholders will be asked to approve by a 66 percent majority the proposed change of its corporate structure from a ``not-for-profit'' to a ``for-profit'' institution.
The legislature has required the set-aside of $175 million to the commonwealth for its approval of this change. The total assets of Trigon BCBS at the end of 1995 was over $1.5 billion! It appears that about 90 percent of the value of this company will be taken out of the ``nonprofit'' health-care sector at a time when we, the public, need less ``profit'' and more concern about where our health-care dollars go.
This issue has not been adequately addressed from the consumers' point of view by the legislature, Blue Cross-Blue Shield or the media.
HARRY B. TAYLOR JR., M.D.
Norfolk, Aug. 21, 1996 by CNB