Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 4 · column 4 of 7 · from the scan, no model involved
To the Editor:
At the risk of sounding like another Rich Doctor Whining About Money, I am compelled to share my views on our governor’s provider tax proposed to close the Medicaid deficit in Virginia. Sure, I’m mad about a $200 fee for the privilege of having my professional fees discounted 65 percent, but I admit that I won’t starve if forced to pony up.
The real point is that the governor’s suggestion is the most shortsighted political opportunism I can remember. It will result in reduced access to health care for everyone by closing a lot of small community hospitals like our own and by driving physicians away from good faith efforts to provide quality service at reasonable costs.
To elaborate, Gov. Wilder’s proposal will reduce availability of health services by forcing our community hospital to pay an effective rate of taxation of 73 percent on operating margins in 1991. Our hospital operates at margins of less than 2 percent and, given reimbursement shortfalls, could easily lose money in any year.
As patients and taxpayers, we must ask ourselves whether we want a system which meets every conceivable real or perceived need in the most convenient, personalized way for everyone and what we are willing to pay for it, individually and in the private and public sectors.
A system which meets tne maximum number of real needs at an ac
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