Letters: Readers discuss cancer insurance, Mike Cierpiot’s campaign and the Founding Fathers
Bipartisan fix
As someone with lung cancer, I am very aware of the importance of quality and affordable health insurance. Every time the health care debate has flared up in Washington, I have been afraid that the services and treatments I depend on to breathe will become inaccessible, unaffordable or wholly uncovered by my insurance plan.
However, the proposed legislation from Sens. Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray is not only bipartisan, but it also would protect people like me and would ensure that our coverage remains available and affordable.
This is a commonsense step forward, supported by the American Lung Association and many other health groups. For patients living with lung cancer, this is literally a life-or-death issue.
Congress must move quickly to pass this bill, which also would protect the pre-existing coverage that is also vital to my treatment.
For the sake of my health and the health of Kansans, I call on Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran to co-sponsor and pass the legislation.
Paul Wolford
Overland Park
One more time
Well, congratulations for another political repeat victory using large sums of money and rotten, disgusting ads against an opponent to instill fear to get a win. I’m talking about Mike Cierpiot’s low-class method to discredit his opponent with lies about how the evil Hillary Shields was going to come in, set up a bigger government and raise taxes.
Of course, we really never heard what Cierpiot was going to do, besides the standard lowering taxes and creating more jobs, which is what Republicans have been saying for years.
It is really too bad we do not take the time to find out about each candidate and make better decisions in choosing the one who will work for our best interests. I guess we are so busy with our daily lives that we only have time to watch negative ads, cast our vote and get another repeat.
Bob Golden
Shawnee
When’s the time?
After the mass murders in Las Vegas, Republicans sang a chorus of, “Now is not the time to talk about gun control.” After the massacre in Sutherland Springs, Texas, President Donald Trump read from the podium: “This isn't a guns situation.”
What on earth do these people think those multiple dozens of people died from — pingpong balls or rotten tomatoes?
Including Columbine High, Sandy Hook and other school, church and workplace shootings, that should have been exactly the right time to talk about Americans’ insane love affair with packing concealed and open firearms.
Maybe it’s going to take mass killings at one of their political meetings to be “the right time.” Maybe they’ll come to their senses before then.
C.D. Rinck Sr.
Mission
On the take?
Saxenda is a weight-loss drug. Victoza is a diabetic drug. Medical professionals say they are virtually identical. The active ingredient in both is liraglutide. Yet without insurance, Victoza is priced at $142 for a 3 mg supply, while Saxenda is $1,215 for the same amount. The Victoza dose is 18 mg, making its monthly price $852, while Saxenda’s monthly dose is 3 mg at $1,215. Fine.
My Federal Employees Health Benefits insurance covers Victoza but not Saxenda, even though they are the same. So, I could pay $27 per month for Victoza, while Saxenda for me is $1,215.
First, why isn’t the health insurance industry interested in helping me lose weight and become healthier? Second, why is the drug manufacturer able to rob me?
Someone is profiting big time. I don’t see any regulation protecting the public from the Saxenda scam.
Why do politicians push for single-payer insurance when we really need an industry cleanup? I did notice that Democrats frothed like mad dogs to get their pet legislation Obamacare passed a few years ago. How many thieves are profiting from John Q. Public after all?
Richard Valenta
Basehor
‘Conservative’
Aspirational — that’s what our country is. That’s what the Founding Fathers were. Shooting for the moon.
They were not, of course, conservative. Conservative is what you become after you have all the marbles. Louis VI and Marie were conservative.
Conservative is what the football team that’s ahead by double digits in the fourth quarter is. Former Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer was conservative. Going for it on fourth down is why we buy football tickets.
We have been and hopefully always will be about the future. We are the new generation. We are the new frontier, as the Kingston Trio wrote.
We are not who we are or who we were. We are who we could be.
That’s exciting territory. Let’s go for it on fourth down.
John Chapman
Kansas City
This story was originally published November 12, 2017 at 8:30 PM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss cancer insurance, Mike Cierpiot’s campaign and the Founding Fathers."