We're sinking

Health-care reform without a public option is not reform at all. It is just rearranging the deck chairs on our current health-care "Titanic" operated by the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. These companies are the unnecessary and uninvited third person in the room between patients and health-care providers.

CHARLIE COOK
Upper St. Clair

One last shot?

We received our annual notice from Highmark last week describing the various changes in services we can expect in 2010 in our Medicare Part B health- insurance coverage. Surprise! The first change noted was a 26 percent increase in premiums for each of us.

Are we just being cynical or is it possible Highmark wants to make sure it gets one last shot at its customers just in case some reasonable health-insurance reform is enacted? Considering that Highmark's cash reserves are already excessive, this rate increase is unconscionable.

By the way, we wonder what the "tea party" screamers who like their "health-insurance coverage just the way it is" think about premium increases such as this.

HERB and SHIRLEY BRANKLEY
Penn Hills

Travesty of a bill

I read with interest your Oct. 13 editorial "Clean Bill of Health," lauding the fact that the nearly $1 trillion health-care bill drafted by the Senate Finance Committee saves $85 billion over 10 years. This, you say, is according to the Congressional Budget Office, but you fail to mention that the CBO also stated the bill contained too little information for it to do anything more than an "outline" scoring. In fact, the so-called bill is nothing more than a conceptual outline, and the details -- where the devil lives -- will be developed only after the bill passes. This sleazy deception is the real issue that most, including your paper, choose to ignore.

You also fail to mention that the savings are dependent on substantial cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, highly unlikely as soon as those pesky seniors find out. Because much of the income used to offset costs is through tax increases on both the middle class and those pesky rich people, it would be more appropriate to call it a tax bill than a health-care bill.

So, we have a bill that is essentially smoke and mirrors. While you sing the praises of a shadow bill intended only to deceive, you completely ignore the travesty of the legislative process being inflicted on the American people.

ROGER KINGSLAND
Aspinwall

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