Costly Reforms in Health Care

* The Times recommended that Gov. Gray Davis sign legislation that would extend California’s “successful” small-business health insurance legislation to mid-sized firms of 51 to 100 employees (editorial, Jan. 3). I am uncertain about your definition of success. About all California insurance “reform” has managed to do is make group health insurance more expensive, thus adding more to the rolls of the uninsured. In the process, “reform” has driven many commercial insurance carriers from the California market, thereby reducing the choices available to Californians and fostering an oligopoly of giant HMOs, which are the only ones able to compete due to their re- strictive contracts and practices and the sinecure provided to them by the state.

What California needs is a little less reform and a lot more thoughtfulness on the part of its government.

MICHAEL E. BERUMEN

Laguna Niguel

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I sincerely believe it is time to exhume and examine the [national] health plan proposed by Hillary Clinton, which was buried by the special-interest groups that have no regard for the health and welfare of the people of our country.

Although some steps are now being taken to protect our best interests, they are too little. Health care will continue to deteriorate unless every man, woman and child has access to medical care, as suggested by Hillary Clinton.

Our country may not continue to prosper under conditions that do not address the basic needs of medical care, as well as food and shelter, for the disillusioned who are struggling to merely exist in our land of plenty.

ROSE DASHOFF

Corona del Mar