Traditional Medicare gives people choices

I have read recent letters lamenting the personal impact of the divide between Highmark and UPMC. For those whose health care is provided by their employers, this is a true loss of choice.

However, for those of us on Medicare, we do have a choice. I have selected traditional Medicare to ensure I could receive my care from any Medicare provider.

There has been a trickle of news about proposals for Medicare for all, which I support. If people of all ages could purchase coverage from Medicare, the cost of coverage would go down for us all. Why? Because we could avoid all the coverage issues and unnecessary costs created by commercial health care plans. Additional information on this option is available at the website of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network.

There is a reason our health care is more expensive, yet our health outcomes are not as good as those other developed countries. We all deserve coverage that is easy to understand and access and eliminates most insurance paperwork.

Just one quick illustration: I was briefly the manager of Allegheny Hospice and then became the business manager for Forbes Hospice. In those roles I discovered that difficulties with obtaining reimbursement from non-Medicare providers was resulting in a significant loss of revenue.

So we hired two full-time billers. At Forbes, one of my roles was to apply for additional nursing positions as needed. It breaks my heart to this day that two nurses were employed in our office — rather than in the field — to verify insurance coverage and to get insurance approvals for our non-Medicare patients. This resulted in four full-time positions that were not available for patient care.

Please add your voice to those who celebrate Medicare and Medicaid’s 53rd birthday and communicate to our representatives the importance of these programs. MYRA KAZANJIAN

Bethel Park world stage to curry favor with a tyrant who is waging cyber warfare on our country. He did so after insulting and alienating our most faithful allies, calling them “foes” of the United States.

The president’s behavior is stupefying. It raises real doubts about who controls him and where his true loyalties lie. All the while, the Republican response, including Sen. Pat Toomey’s, has been tepid. Some would say cowardly.

When will Republicans in Congress put their country before their party? When will they defend the United States, which is so much better — braver, stronger, more ethical — than this administration, with its constant lies and fear-mongering? When will Republican voters demand more of their party, which defends the president at the cost of everything good and decent? And when will elected representatives like Mr. Toomey start representing his state — the whole state and not just the people who voted for him? MARIE NORMAN

Squirrel Hill

It appears that one of my fellow Moon residents is concerned that PG editorial director Keith Burris is providing editorial content that is fair and balanced rather than taking extreme left or right positions — or, in the writer’s case, not having the PG push an extreme left position (Aug. 1 letters, “In Sheep’s Clothing”).

While I do not agree with all of the PG editorials, I must admit that the editorials of late have been both fair and well reasoned. Additionally, I applaud the recent dropping of editorial cartoonist Rob Rogers.

Editorial cartoons are supposed to poke fun at and even exaggerate features and positions of public personalities. They should not mimic the late-night “comics” who recently have become increasingly unfunny and downright vicious.

Keep up the good work, Mr. Burris, and perhaps your good work will result in a slew of increased subscriptions. GILBERT DADOWSKI

Moon

Leila Richards’ column detailing the Israeli abuse and jailing of Palestinian children (45,000 since 1951 and counting) provides information known internationally for years (Aug. 1 Perspectives, “Palestinian Children Are Being Imprisoned”). The facts speak daily for themselves, and the facts are beyond denial.

Except for those few but deservedly praised supporters of H.R. 4391, which condemns such treatment of children, why aren’t there more supporters, including supporters of Israel who deplore such practices? SAMUEL HAZO Upper St. Clair