Letter: Economics of health care escape president

Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2007 | 7:13 a.m.

Paul Krugman's column on Oct. 7 unmasks the blatant disregard for many of our citizens as well as the Republicans' total lack of good business sense. My wife and I got our flu shot at a Walgreens clinic - yes, clinic! These are springing up across the country (also in Wal-Marts).

They are staffed by a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant who is trained to handle medical problems up to a certain level. They can help treat minor problems and refer more serious ones to doctors.

Marry this clinic concept with the State Children's Health Insurance Program. It would be natural for parents to take their children to such clinics as a first step in the children's health insurance program.

But, as Mr. Krugman points out, President Bush's solution, even for minor illnesses for those who have no health insurance, is "After all, you just go to an emergency room." Our emergency rooms offer the most expensive care.

If one cannot pay for their ER care, the cost must be passed on to those who have health insurance to keep hospitals afloat. Even those who have not passed Economics 101 can see the folly in the president's solution to helping our children.

Forget about what Krugman points out as Republicans laughing at the downtrodden or lacking compassion. It makes simple economic sense to promote these small clinics as a way to bring health care to the masses while funding those who cannot afford it through the children's health insurance program. After all, we might be able to pay for the program with the money wasted in the misuse of our ERs across the country.

Gary Musser, Las Vegas