Health care costs, a public LIPA, LIRR fare beaters, saving wildlife

Yes, health care costs are high — here’s why

The article “Prices for health insurance continue to increase” [News, Dec. 4] did not note that all these insurance plans are driven by major corporations whose sole purpose is to increase their return on investment for stockholders.

Before the explosion of managed care in the early 1990s, the main health insurance company in New York was Blue Cross / Blue Shield of New York, a nonprofit company. When larger insurance companies entered health care, premiums increased, coverage for patients decreased and investors had to receive a larger and larger share on their investment — in addition to corporate salaries.

Despite what the public may believe, managed care is the same as socialized medicine. It is controlled and parceled out by corporations instead of the government. Pricing is controlled, reimbursement is controlled and services are controlled.

— Regina Kennedy Anto, Baldwin

As a former employee of the second largest health care company in this country, Anthem, we’d receive quarterly stock performance reports via email. It was not unusual for the company to report a net income of a billion dollars for the quarter.

In the nearly 30 years I worked for Anthem, its stock value increased tenfold. I once asked our CEO what is done with the “net income.” I never received an answer.

— John Laffin, Holtsville

Check LIRR tickets? It’ll create problems

As a former NYPD commander and a user of the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North for years, I think the plan to check LIRR tickets after events at Madison Square Garden is ridiculous and will lead to serious crowd control issues and delays [“Get your ticket out,” News, Nov. 30].

The number of people boarding trains after an event will overwhelm the LIRR personnel on the platform.

— Steve Nasta, Great Neck

I can’t wait to try out the cattle-herding ticket-checking system being promised at the top of the stairs in Penn Station.

Consider the LIRR Brooklyn service, which is nonsensical. Our main line train pulls into Jamaica four minutes late as they “wait for track space.” They then make you walk or run over 12 tracks for the Brooklyn shuttle. The shuttle doors close so it can arrive at Atlantic Terminal within just under six minutes to be “on time” — and leaves as we all are walking down the steps. The next Brooklyn shuttle? It’s half an hour later.

— Glenn Tyranski, Huntington

Making LIPA public has its advantages

A reader cynically doubted that ratepayers would save money by making the Long Island Power Authority a public utility, as recommended by a legislative commission [“How will LIPA action save $80M a year?,” Letters, Nov. 24]. He doesn’t seem to have done the math.

The reader ignored the commission’s finding on how $50 million to $80 million annually would be saved, mostly by eliminating management fees and incentives paid to 19 PSEG executives, or about $2.6 to $4.2 million per person.

Instead, the reader was skeptical of an expanded public LIPA board of 13 members, who would be paid $25,000 a year per person. That total of only $325,000 is a bargain to get community input in setting utility policies.

About 10% of electricity in America is generated by public utilities. According to the American Public Power Association, public power customers pay 13% less than customers of privately owned utilities and enjoy more reliable service with fewer outages. Public utilities also tend to be leaders in renewable energy — which New York needs more of.

Removing PSEG and its profit motive would give LIPA much greater operational efficiency. This would benefit Long Islanders through lower rates, more reliable service and faster integration of clean energy.

— Stephanie Doba, Sag Harbor

Wildlife shouldn’t be pawns in a prize game

The bill ending extreme wildlife-for-cash competitions needs to be signed [“Bills awaiting signature,” News, Dec. 4]. In the time since this bipartisan measure passed the state legislature in June, Oregon became the ninth state to stop these fringe contests, and the New Jersey Senate Economic Growth Committee unanimously recently passed their version of the bill.

With only days left in the year, what is taking Gov. Kathy Hochul so long? Our shared wildlife shouldn’t be used as disposable pieces in games for cash and prizes.

— Kailey Mauro, Sound Beach