Dear Iris--Ease My Pain

Dear Erudite Editor, Sherwood Park News please pass this on to the Minister of Health.

Hello Iris:

I went to see your pal Curt Vos, the other day. He's fine, me not so much. I've this pain in my butt. It goes into my back, my legs and is messing up my kness. It really is annoying. So am I, when I have it. That's probably more detail than you need. Perspective is important though!

So Curt books me an MRI to get to the bottom, so to speak, of all of this. One problem, I can't get it till July 26th. It'll be six months before, I'm on the road to recovery. Time is scare. Function is pretty important, with a finite and declining number of days left, on the planet.

I know you're up to your butt, in Third Way dilberations, so I don't want to take up much of your time. However, as a representative "underwriter" of the current government supplied health care insurance system. I ('we') pay for it through taxes, premiums, and out of pocket for delisted services or alternative therapies not covered, at all.

Why does it take 4 months to get an MRI in the system?

Why can't I use my 'public system' insurance to pay for a MRI, at a private clinic? "They" tell me I can get an MRI there, in two days.

How much does an MRI cost, in the public system?

How will the third way shortern wait times? Reduce costs to me? Increase benefits to me (us)?

How will de listing services, declaring hip and knees as non essential, benefit those with hips knees, and other things that need to be fixed?

How does de listing benefit anyone? In 2005 Alberta Health dropped physiotherapy coverage from 6 to 4 visits. Iris, Why did you do that? Who benefited from that?

What's the benefit in third party Health Insurance? As I see it, subject to clarification of course, I'll pay a premium to a private insurance company, 'they'll' create a deductible, and "they'll" either de list me, or increase my premium when and if I use the insurance, just like the automobile insurance guys do.

Iris, I look forward to discussing this. I trust the Erudite Editor and August Publisher of this weekly journal will be happy to accommodate your response.

Regards Bruce Winter

PS
Friends of Medicare, and anyone who needs something fixed and can't get it, feel free to join in this discussion, here, or at wwww.selfheath.blogspot.com