Socialized Medicine Isn’t the Answer

Re “Shame on County’s Doctors? No, Shame on State’s Medi-Cal” (Letters, Aug. 12): Craig Myers has laser-pointed the entire society as the culprit of our health-care system. Our society remains a frozen embryo typifying the ‘80s era of wants without efforts. Yes, everyone wants the best and latest medical care, but nobody wants to pay for it.

However, doctors can no longer afford to shoulder what should be the society’s, and more specifically our county’s, responsibility. Most people, though, readily perceive that their medical expenses are too high but do not realize how costly it is to operate a medical office or hospital. In my own office, employee salaries, benefits and state-mandated assessments alone account for nearly 40% of my gross income.

Since, as Myers pointed out, Medi-Cal pays hospitals an average of only 61% (probably even less to doctors) of the cost, we must then make up the difference from the others. The resultant escalation in health insurance costs propels yet more people out of our health-care system.

No wonder many in our country are crying for some form of socialized medicine even when the socialist societies are reaching out for a solution from perestroika. However, to allow the politicians to control our health-care system is like asking the Iraqi to protect Saudi Arabia from the Kuwaiti Voluntary Army. Before we opt for socialized medicine, we must ask ourselves, “Postal Service or Federal Express?”

DR. JOHN T. CHIU

Corona del Mar