Since When Did Doctors Become the Bad Guys?

Both of my brothers are doctors, and they have been dealing with the issues discussed in the article “Medical Alert” (by Janet Wells, July 11). My younger brother went into private practice at age 53. He is a specialist in pulmonary medicine, and each year his medical malpractice insurance goes up. His income is dependent on what the insurance companies will allow for his services, and they second-guess his decisions for medically necessary procedures.

Since when did doctors become the bad guys? Why do plumbers and car mechanics get paid for their “procedures” at the time of their services and at their going rates, and doctors have to wait to be reimbursed and then only get what the insurance company allows?

Why does a young man without a college education, and who has the height and ability to put a ball in a basket, earn millions and no one says that he earns too much money? Why is a man who has spent most of his life studying and perfecting his skill to heal and save peoples’ lives considered less valuable and too greedy?

Liz Sherwin

Los Angeles