Re: Victor John Okerblom’s Dec. 18 letter, “No wonder healthcare costs climb�:
Can we put a price on health? From Mr. Okerblom’s letter and the listing of the many charges he incurred, it seems to me that this was not a routine office visit.
My guess is he arrived with some kind of immediate health issue, maybe one that could have turned out to be life-threatening. On his arrival, I can only imagine the fee for making him healthy did not enter his mind. The particulars were not mentioned.
Which came first: the high cost of malpractice insurance, forcing doctors to raise their fees, or the high cost of medical services?
If a doctor submits an item to an insurance company for $120, and the insurance company only allows $75, the doctor will be paid only $75. I cannot see where the term “greed� comes in. The out-of-pocket expense is a percentage of the remaining charge, clearly stated in the insurance policy. So, are the doctors really the greedy ones, or are the insurance companies?
— Paulette McMullen, Camarillo
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