Letters: Readers discuss Roger Marshall’s mask defiance, KanCare woes, Trump’s wrongs
Strange medicine
Sen. Roger Marshall uses the moniker “Doc Marshall.” He is a medical doctor. He took the Hippocratic Oath. An important step in becoming a doctor is to promise to “do no harm.”
Marshall’s recent newsletter says he is pushing back against “inconsistent” and “draconian” (excessively harsh and severe) mask mandates. He states that mask mandates are not backed by science. Apparently, he did not read the systematic review of mask-wearing sponsored by the World Health Organization. It indicates that there is a reduction in risk when masks are worn.
Observation would indicate the same. When almost everyone was wearing masks, the number of COVID-19 cases went down (as did seasonal flu cases, which were dramatically reduced this past season). When Donald Trump and Marshall held their maskless superspreader campaign events, COVID cases among attendees are thought to have gone up.
Marshall states that science does not support a mask mandate for those who have been vaccinated. However, he does not present any scientific evidence that masks do not work. Marshall does not use facts or science when he tells people not to wear masks.
Not wearing a mask appears to be draconian. You could get or transmit a lifelong illnesses or die. That is harsh and severe. Marshall is causing harm.
- Karen Bradfield, Lenexa
None for me
Lose the mask. You are a citizen, not a subject.
- Dan Muldrew, Overland Park
The right thing
A sincere thank-you to the majority of Johnson County commissioners and members of the Olathe School Board. I know that the activists who fight for the Freedom of Our Faces are loud and present at your meetings. These FOOFs represent a small number of your constituents. Most of us appreciate the time you have spent on students returning safely to our schools during a pandemic and the leadership you have demonstrated.
- Joyce Keys, Olathe
On the hook
It seems pretty clear that the cost of rising infections is being borne by insurance companies, Medicaid, Medicare and hospitals. Perhaps insurance companies should consider a fee to those choosing to remain unvaccinated, rather than place the burden on those who have followed the science, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and our physicians by getting vaccinated.
It only seems fair. And it still offers that choice to everyone.
- Deedee King, Kansas City
Where is justice?
I don’t get it.
As the evidence continues to come to light, it is clear that Donald Trump tried in every possible way to subvert the 2020 election and overthrow America’s democracy. Apparently, he came dangerously close to succeeding. Further, he and his sycophants continue to put his lies forward and claim that he is the “real” president.
Clearly, his behavior is both seditious and dangerous. It has already caused a terrorist attack on our democracy and has cost several brave police officers’ lives. Why allow his behavior to continue?
His actions are capital crimes. Why is Trump not in jail? Why is he allowed to continue to promulgate his dangerous lies?
- Mark Johnson, Kansas City
Medicaid madness
I manage my 76-year-old mother’s Medicaid benefits. My father passed away in 2020, and she has late-stage dementia. Medicaid’s antiquated systems, cryptic letters, and executives and decision-makers operating, unreachable behind closed doors, leave me frustrated and confused. I can only imagine what the process must be like for senior citizens operating alone.
One letter they sent said the exact opposite of its intent, leading me to believe that my mother was either already cut off from Medicaid or soon would be. This prompted a phone call to Medicaid for clarification. I was informed that the letter was poorly written, the letters are generated from a template and nothing can be done about it.
If KanCare sent useful information, then the recipients wouldn’t need to call the center so often, thereby saving money on staff and training. Better yet, if the state had a website that provided recipients with current information, which would allow them to opt out of mailed letters completely, that would save even more.
I appreciate Kansas trying to save money, but the current approach is actually wasting money, wasting people’s time and eroding productivity by requiring endless hours managing Medicaid benefits.
- Justin Gatlin, Shawnee
Get Thrifty
As a dietitian, I help individuals access resources to provide healthy food to their families.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted chronic disease health disparities many U.S. minority populations face because of socioeconomic inequities, barriers to education, systemic racism, insufficient access to health care including medical nutrition therapy and access to healthful, affordable foods.
Investing in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Thrifty Food Plan, the basis for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, is crucial to achieve health equity and assure adequate nutrition for millions of low-income Americans. A 2018 USDA study found the majority of SNAP participants face at least one hurdle to a healthy diet, with the most common barrier being the cost of healthy foods. Study participants struggling to afford nutritious foods were more than twice as likely to be food insecure.
More than 200,000 Kansans participate in SNAP. Investing in the Thrifty Food Plan would provide them with more resources to purchase healthy foods that are proven to improve overall health.
When investing in the Thrifty Food Plan, it’s imperative the USDA make updates through a cultural humility lens, with culturally appropriate market baskets, realistic time expectations for shopping and meal preparation, as well as transportation challenges.
- Casey Florea, Lenexa
This story was originally published August 8, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Letters: Readers discuss Roger Marshall’s mask defiance, KanCare woes, Trump’s wrongs."