{"id":448,"date":"2025-07-31T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southcoastraceway.com\/?p=448"},"modified":"2025-08-03T07:35:50","modified_gmt":"2025-08-03T07:35:50","slug":"readers-weigh-in-on-making-american-health-care-affordable-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/southcoastraceway.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/31\/readers-weigh-in-on-making-american-health-care-affordable-again\/","title":{"rendered":"Readers Weigh In on Making American Health Care Affordable Again"},"content":{"rendered":"

Letters to the Editor<\/a>\u00a0is a periodic feature. We\u00a0welcome all comments<\/a>\u00a0and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sounding the Alarm for Ambulances<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you for shedding much-needed light on the exorbitant costs and lack of reimbursement that have become a harsh reality for many ambulance services across Colorado and the nation (“Insurers Fight State Laws Restricting Surprise Ambulance Bills<\/a>,” July 9). While it’s vital to protect patients from “surprise” bills \u2014 something your coverage highlights \u2014 it’s equally important to acknowledge the other side of the equation.<\/p>\n

Ambulance providers often receive reimbursements well below the actual cost of delivering care. A recent industry report<\/a> found that ambulance services are under\u2011reimbursed by an average of $1,526 per transport, with Medicare alone paying nearly $2,334 less than the cost incurred. These shortfalls are unsustainable and threaten the financial viability of emergency responders.<\/p>\n

It’s crucial that ambulance companies have a stronger voice in this conversation. Reimbursement rates aren’t just numbers \u2014 they determine whether crews can stay on the road, maintain readiness, and invest in vital mobile health care services. Emergency preparedness relies on stable funding, and when that funding falls short, communities suffer.<\/p>\n

By spotlighting the reimbursement crisis, this article helps lay the groundwork for policy solutions. But let’s go a step further: We need to elevate the voice of ambulance agencies themselves, so lawmakers and insurers understand that fair payment isn’t a bonus \u2014 it’s essential to keep us safe.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Patrick Fahey, Weymouth, Massachusetts<\/em><\/p>\n

A DevOps engineer shared the NPR version of the article on social media:<\/em><\/p>\n

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Families hit hard by surprise ambulance bills-some see debts soar even with insurance. More states are acting, but a national solution may be needed for real protection. https:\/\/t.co\/Efb6me3Png<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/HRSW5mCdiu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Michael Bennett (@M1keB_77) July 11, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2014 Michael Bennett, Denver<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Congress Is Playing Political Hot Potato With My Health’<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’m 60, self-employed, and living with congestive heart failure. My ejection fraction is dangerously low, and the Affordable Care Act is the reason I can see a doctor, take my medication, and stay alive.<\/p>\n

Now Congress is playing political hot potato with my health. If they don’t extend the ACA’s enhanced subsidies by August, my $30 premium could jump to over $800. That’s over 25 times as much. I’m not a hedge fund manager \u2014 I’m an independent contractor. Unless I start selling organs (not ideal when your heart’s the issue), I can’t keep up.<\/p>\n

I’m too young for Medicare and have no employer plan. I’ve worked, paid taxes, and managed my condition responsibly. So why am I being priced out of care?<\/p>\n

If Congress won’t listen, I’m asking you \u2014 the press \u2014 to help. Tell this story, or one just like it. Millions of Americans are quietly panicking, walking the same tightrope. These policy changes aren’t just math \u2014 they’re about human lives.<\/p>\n

Because if nothing changes, a lot of us won’t be around to write letters next year.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Kevin Bahn, Tamarac, Florida<\/em><\/p>\n

Americans Pay the Price for a Sick Health Care System<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am sure your readers would be interested in how American health care costs compare with those of the European Union and Switzerland (“Bill of the Month<\/a>: A Texas Boy Needed Protection From Measles. The Vaccine Cost $1,400<\/a>,” June 30).<\/p>\n

In France, the private price for the MMR vaccine is around $13 (in U.S. dollars), provided you have a prescription. Any pharmacy can administer the jab for about the same.<\/p>\n

Here in Switzerland, the most expensive country in Europe, this vaccine costs under $40, as a private purchase.<\/p>\n

I’ve moved 18 times with family across Western and Eastern Europe and have had expat staff in 35 countries on four continents.<\/p>\n

It’s very clear to me now that most national attempts at health care are a costly failure, with few notable exceptions: Germany and, surprisingly, Spain. Then there’s Switzerland, which has among the best health care systems in the world \u2014 close to perfect. Basic coverage terms are federally mandated and cost around $430 a month with a $2,500 annual deductible, irrespective of age, after 26. And with a $300 yearly deductible, the premiums are about 40% higher.<\/p>\n

Something is very off in the USA. It’s not that complicated.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Clement Cohen, Geneva, Switzerland<\/em><\/p>\n

A registered nurse shared his solution for taming Medicaid fraud in a post on X:<\/em><\/p>\n

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“They’ll give you a bone if you stay in the mud.It’s relatively easy to fix the benefit cliff: just phase in a graduated premium for Medicaid based on income above the threshold. If we had political will to do this, it would prompted self-sufficiency.https:\/\/t.co\/4fxSnmETRd<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jacob Larsen \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddf0 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@SLCPaladin) July 22, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2014 Jacob Larsen, St. George, Utah<\/em><\/p>\n

Why \u2018Start From Scratch’ Vaccine Testing Can Be Dangerous<\/strong><\/p>\n

I anticipate we’ll be hearing more discussion around the use of “inert” placebos \u2014 like saline solutions \u2014 as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approach new vaccine recommendations (“Kennedy’s Vaccine Advisers Sow Doubts as Scientists Protest US Pivot on Shots<\/a>,” June 27). This type of messaging seems poised to gain traction with the public, despite its ethical implications.<\/p>\n

Increasingly, I’m seeing criticism that vaccine development doesn’t rely on inert placebos. This argument is often used to advocate for new clinical trials \u2014 even for vaccines already proven effective \u2014 and to justify beginning booster development from scratch.<\/p>\n

While inert placebos may have been used and were appropriate in early stages of research for vaccines, their use becomes ethically problematic when a safe, effective vaccine already exists. In such cases, withholding protection from participants in a placebo group can put them at real risk, especially during the development of updated or booster doses of vaccines.<\/p>\n

I believe it’s critical that organizations like KFF Health News help clarify this issue for the public. KFF is a highly respected, nonpartisan source with powerful communication reach. I’m a subscriber to KFF Health News and appreciate the way your reporting draws in readers with accessible, engaging headlines \u2014 and that your articles are available for syndication to other outlets.<\/p>\n

Two key points I found buried in an American Academy of Pediatrics article<\/a> stood out:<\/p>\n