Letters to the editor

Medicare crisis looming for seniors

Nothing like a good horror story to pique one's interest, I say ... unless it's supplied at your doctor's office and relates to Congress and the Medicare program .. .and is real!

It pertains to the deaf ear that Congress is giving physician reimbursements. Here's a quote from the info letter: "...(SGR) formula, which will lead to 30 percent reductions in reimbursements over the next five years. A 10 percent cut is scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2008."

Let me from my own experience translate that to be a potential death sentence for older folks without much money ... and why? Quote No. 2: "Many physicians have already decided to opt out of Medicare," Quote No. 3: "Some members of Congress have told us they will continue to make cuts until patients can't get care."

My take on this is that "some members of Congress" don't care about their older constituents who have suffered misfortunes and haven't got the price. Of course, Medicare isn't free, and people of substance should also get value.

And I've got a further take on "some members of Congress" that is unprintable.

What truly bothers me is that some sort of "Big Bang Theory" has taken hold of the medical industry ... that a sincere effort many years ago to have respected physicians and reliable insurance companies and a good-faith government program for elderly citizens somehow all blew up and now is like the universe ... drifting ever further apart.

I would digress on this subject, for I've found that presenting issues without vested interests before established Congress-persons ... is like knocking on a soundproof door. Just run it by Ron Paul ... get potential candidates like Jill Derby and others.

Footnote: This isn't specifically your problem if you don't plan on getting old!

NOEL T. KREFT

Carson City

Senate should replace Reid

Reading Senator Reid's recent opinion piece in the Appeal, one might think that Senator Reid was here in Nevada busy serving his constituents during the congressional recess, which supposedly was a "home work period" for law makers.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Senate majority leader Reid was instead on an eight-day, taxpayer-financed, junket through Latin America.

Apparently, Senator Reid thinks that this trip is more important than the mountain of unfinished legislation in the Senate. This Democratic-controlled, do-nothing congress continues to fail in its elected mission of providing meaningful legislation to the American taxpayers.

The "Bush bashing" continues as Senator Reid said that the reason for the trip was because of "stagnant" U.S. policy in Latin America under the Bush administration. Since when did our elected legislators become responsible for foreign policy? With very little effort, I can think of dozens of domestic issues that Reid should be working on instead of traipsing around Latin America at the taxpayers expense. How about some funds for the troops in Iraq who are by the way winning in their mission.

As Senate Majority leader, Senator Reid is a disappointment and an embarrassment to the citizens of Nevada. Mr. Reid, stop the Bush Bashing, the partisan politics, the endless hearings into the Bush administration, and do the job that you were appointed to do. The Senate should immediately replace Mr. Reid with someone who understands the needs and priorities of this country.

BILL JOHNSTON

Carson City