Knees, Needs and Health Care

Re “A Good Thing Bill’s No Average Joe” (May 7): Indeed, the president deserves the gold standard for health treatment and so do all the rest of us. Every last one of us. Many Americans, however, might be interested to know that this premium seems to be reserved for just the members of Congress, the executive branch, the Supreme Court and their spouses and families.

So, while we have “socialized medicine” for the rich in this country, the middle class and poor have the “capitalist” version of health care. And before the political changes in South Africa, we had the dubious distinction of being the only other Western industrial country that didn’t have a national health plan.

JOSEPH GIUS

Los Angeles

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Thank you, Marlene Cimons for addressing the issue of the president’s knee. He’s in a position for good knee care where the rest of us, with mostly older knees, aren’t. So he’s doing well.

I am responding to your write-up because I especially didn’t like John Brinkley’s attitude. Control in the hands of the provider is, in my opinion, what is ruining individual patient care. Patient care is a matter of, “If you get it, fine; if you don’t, oh well.”

When I asked my health plan’s doctor for an X-ray of my left leg after a fall, he said “Well, we X-rayed the right one and both legs are the same.”

He did not take into consideration there really was a legitimate fall. I missed a step coming out of a meeting--just like the president. But I have older knees. Not worthy of attention. The kicker is that HMOs get paid for me being a member whether I get X-rayed or cared for or not.

OLIVE FALLON

El Segundo