Yes, health care costs are high — here’s why
The article “Prices for health insurance continue to increase” [News, Dec. 4] did not note that all these insurance plans are driven by major corporations whose sole purpose is to increase their return on investment for stockholders.
Before the explosion of managed care in the early 1990s, the main health insurance company in New York was Blue Cross / Blue Shield of New York, a nonprofit company. When larger insurance companies entered health care, premiums increased, coverage for patients decreased and investors had to receive a larger and larger share on their investment — in addition to corporate salaries.
Despite what the public may believe, managed care is the same as socialized medicine. It is controlled and parceled out by corporations instead of the government. Pricing is controlled, reimbursement is controlled and services are controlled.
— Regina Kennedy Anto, Baldwin
As a former employee of the second largest health care company in this country, Anthem, we’d receive quarterly stock performance reports via email. It was not unusual for the company to report a net income of a billion dollars for the quarter.
In the nearly 30 years I worked for Anthem, its stock value increased tenfold. I once asked our CEO what is done with the “net income.” I never received an answer.
— John Laffin, Holtsville
Check LIRR tickets? It’ll create problems
As a former NYPD commander and a user of the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North for years, I think the plan to check LIRR tickets after events at Madison Square Garden is ridiculous and will lead to serious crowd control issues and delays [“Get your ticket out,” News, Nov. 30].
The number of people boarding trains after an event will overwhelm the LIRR personnel on the platform.
— Steve Nasta, Great Neck
I can’t wait to try out the cattle-herding ticket-checking system being promised at the top of the stairs in Penn Station.
Consider the LIRR Brooklyn…
Read the full article here
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