Health Insurance

“Universal Health Care” (letters, Jan. 27) is one of the major issues of year 2000 and beyond. I have just turned 60. I’m a native of California. I’m a graduate of UCLA. I have only part-time work. I’m even thinking about going back to school in order to get a new career. I have next to zero health care. I haven’t a clue about the prosperity everyone else seems to be enjoying. I am nearly less than broke.

Thanks to falling-through-the-cracks county medical services (CMS), I had arthroscopic surgery on my knee. It took months to get CMS. It took months and weeks to get CMS approval to see an orthopedic surgeon. It took months to get the doctor’s appointment. It took months to get an MRI and recent surgery. There’s more pain here than I am writing. I am thankful for the best expert help I finally did get, nearly one year after my injury. I have lost more than a year. You simply cannot work when in pain. Who’s going to hire you?

HAL JEPSEN

San Juan Capistrano