Dear FRONTLINE,

You sadly omitted the major factor in the diminished care/Dr/Pt relationship. The public is the unwitting cause and victum of diminished funding.

The Federal Government which has shifted payment responsibility from itself to the Dr. should permit the people/patients to reexamine the options and decide if they themselves wish to assume responsibility for and pay for a higher quality of care.

The doctors, administrators and politicians have failed to publicate this option. Before we each are faced with individual substandard care perhaps we each should be made to decide if what we are to receive for health care is in fact, what we want. Just maybe we might think and act differently if we were so educated.

Charles E Heath, DMD
Barnstable, MA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I find it amusing that all of the evils that the physicians' organizations and insurance providers warned us about when President Clinton suggested a Government Health care system e.g. lack of choice in physicians, lessened care are now exactly what we can expect from the private sector.

I was appalled by the fact that the doctors can rationalize their oath this way. To my mind doing nothing is not in keeping with a pledge to do no harm.

Terry Love
Alvada, Ohio

Dear FRONTLINE,

As a Canadian RPN, who has just found some new insight into managed care, I would like to comment. Alberta is facing the very real possibility that the privatization of hospitals is well on it's way. Ontario heath care providers are concerned that we may be next being the most populated province in Canada, and following a very simelar provincial govt. pathway The thought is nightmarish to myself. I felt like biting my nails,or tugging at my hair, the stress seems incredible.

I can only hope that your federal govt. can view this as a true health care crisis, and intervine with some well deserved regulations as far as Models of Care, and insurance plan coverage

amy McGann
Ottawa, Ont

Dear FRONTLINE,

Why should I feel sorry for this doctor and his pod? He sold his practice $1/2 million? to get sole rights to these patients and to put his competition out of business when this HMO started. Now he asks us to bail him out of his bad business decision.

I have opposed HMOs for years and have suffered the losses of being excluded and underbid. My patients truly have choice and I am still able to practice surgery without the fear tactics of HMOs. Solomon should have listened to his fellow physicinas who warned him 10 years ago not to join HMOs for the sake of all our patients.

A. Hibbard MD
Nacogdoches, TX

Dear FRONTLINE,

Great Show but we all know the plight of the patient, hospital and the doctor. When will someone have the courage to look at the insurance companies and how profitable they are while they dole out the money they decide is appropriate? They are the ones that are suppose to take the risk but we can't seem to find out how they are doing throughout this crisis. They by definition take the risk but pay the doctors on terms they decide. Is there ever an accounting of their profitablity? A show about this would probably be boring but might go that next step in finding the solution to our problems in health care.

robert klein
cape may beach, new jersey