Retired doctor responds to Representatives editorial on Medicaid Expansion

Dear Editor,

This letter is a response to a recent article by Re. Megan Blanksma entitled "Our Medicaid Expansion is Throwing Thousands Off Their Insurance."

Soo... Fix It. All actions have unexpected results. Soo... fix it - that is why you are in the government. Or are you waiting for that magic Republican replacement. You know the one Trump says "will cost less, you'll love it and it will be terrific."

Of course, the real answer is universal medical care. Yes, socialized (gasp) medical care. A recent broadcast from England simply asked Brits what the cost of medical care in the United States was? One lady was asked how much an inhaler cost in the U.S. Her answer was grossly under the real cost. When told the price of the inhaler, she gasped and said: "Oh man, so if you're poor you're dead."

Another thing mentioned in the article is not a new problem. That is doctors dropping patients when their insurance changed.

In my 35 years of practice I would see 1 - 2 people from Boise each year. It wasn't because of my fame or expertise (which I hoped would be the reason). No, it was because they had just gone on Medicare and their doctor of many years dropped them. This is and always has been WRONG UNETHICAL WRONG! OMG they are your patients, you see them when they have insurance and when they change insurance. You see them when they have no insurance.

My rant is done!

Michael P. Koelsch MD