Health Care

* Phil Gramm (R-Tex.) is another one of those Old Boy Republicans who just doesn’t get it (“ ‘Choice’ Belongs to Government,” Commentary, Feb. 14). I concede that his health care plan may very well be the best available in the world. (Although he seems unwilling to concede that taxpayers are probably paying for it.) Still, his horror that under Clinton’s plan things will be worse applies only to some Americans.

If he were to get out of the Beltway and talk to people who right now are “insured” under the formularies established by Blue Cross, he would discover his terrifying future is already here!

If the medications your doctor prescribes are not on the list, Blue Cross won’t pay for them. If a treatment your doctor says you need is not approved, you can’t get it. And it took effect Jan. 1, 1994, Mr. Gramm. Not in some future the President has maliciously planned for us.

Get out of the way, Mr. Gramm. We need reform and we need it now.

AL G. CARTER

Santa Barbara

* Gramm’s column on Clinton’s health plan was rather enlightening. But let me enlighten him and your readers that his statement, “Or suppose a drug that you desperately need is not, according to the board, ‘reasonably priced’? They won’t pay for it,” applies equally to Blue Cross of California, a private insurance company.

A prescription of mine was rejected on Jan. 22 based on a prescription drug “formulary” policy beginning with January, 1994, but not even made known to their insured. Under my insurance policy, this particular prescription was previously available to me for $8. It would now have cost me approximately $50.

They refused to furnish me a “formulary” list. They said only doctors have it. My doctor did not have it either.

FRED BENJAMIN

Mission Viejo