Mental Health Costs

Regarding Michael Ramirez’s cartoon on mental health coverage (Commentary, May 7), let’s hope he never has to watch a loved one suffer through the system as my family has. My stepfather has vascular dementia, an Alzheimer’s-like condition that falls into a great black hole of noncoverage for him, regardless of how many years he spent working, saving and paying his dues. After many heartbreaking months of deterioration, his home is now the Washington state mental hospital, as my mother quickly depleted her savings by paying out of pocket for a succession of care facilities. I could go on, but Ramirez is hardly worth more than a few moments of my time.

Peter Hansen

Palm Springs