LETTERS

Re “Medi-Cal effort nabs few cheaters,” Oct. 6

We spent $16.6 million to deny eight people health services? As you wrote, “One congressional oversight committee found that the regulations cost the federal government and six of nine states surveyed this year $16.6 million in new administrative costs but resulted in snagging only eight illegal immigrants.”

The U.S. can further be proud of money-saving through its healthcare freeloading off Europe, which provides services to tourists. When I sprained my ankle in Italy, they X-rayed it, bound it up and gave me crutches, all at no charge. In some European countries, they figure that if an illegal alien gets sick, he or she could spread the illness to others -- so it makes more sense to give them health coverage. And it’s not driving the countries bankrupt.

It’s time to abandon our stinginess, join the civilized world and reciprocate with universal healthcare.

Nancy Kiang

Irvine

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The real cheating in Medi- Cal is perpetrated by legal residents. They falsify their financial forms and then qualify for Medi-Cal.

I am a physician, and I see many affluent people on Medi-Cal.

When we try to call the Medi-Cal fraud line, there is little interest in pursuing these cheaters. No wonder we have ballooning deficits.

Dinesh Ghiya

Whittier