Cost of Medicare

Frank M. Sifuentes (Voices, Jan. 29) states he is a long-forgotten soldier in the “war on poverty,” which is a noble calling. I appreciate his goodwill and efforts on behalf of the poor and uneducated.

However, Medicare does “dole” out $200 billion a year. Medicare expense is not included in the mandatory Social Security “contributions” extracted from workers. The $48 per month that he and Mrs. Sifuentes each pay per month is but a small portion of the cost of Medicare benefits. For example, in Southern California, HMOs are reimbursed in excess of $750 per month for Medicare recipients. The excess of the $48 comes from taxes and government borrowing.

JERRY SMITH

Canoga Park