The best medicine may be universal healthcare

Re “Sick but Insured? Think Again,” Sept. 17

WellPoint’s practice of denying claims based on a patient’s alleged misrepresentations of preexisting conditions is infuriating in many ways, not the least of which is the rip-off of California taxpayers that results. Explaining why his company persists in dubiously rejecting claims, a Blue Shield spokesman said that otherwise “we will end up with all the high-risk people.”

Fortunately for individuals who are abandoned by their insurer, the state can provide assistance. But why should taxpayers disproportionately carry the burden of the sick while private insurers collect premiums from the young and healthy? A state-financed, single-payer system, as proposed in Senate Bill 840, would eliminate private insurers, improve access to healthcare and save billions of dollars. Yet Gov. Schwarzenegger has vetoed this bill. It appears that he is serving the insurance companies and not Californians.

GERALD GOLLIN MD

Redlands

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Thank you for your story on the families who thought they had insurance coverage. They had been paying for medical insurance for years. However, once the insurance was needed, the policy was canceled and claims denied, leaving them tens of thousands of dollars in debt. I am curious: What was wrong with the national insurance plan the Clintons proposed in the ‘90s?

ROSANNE KLEIN

Torrance