Pasco letters to the editor, Jan. 9

Missing parity

Editor:

Mobility is a serious issue for amputees who want to keep their jobs, take care of their families and live healthy, active lives. In Florida, however, insurance companies are unrealistically limiting reimbursement of prosthetic arms and legs or summarily electing not to cover them.

There are an estimated 89,809 people with amputations in Florida. Although an average adult amputee needs a replacement prosthesis every three to five years and children even more frequently, some insurance companies are covering for only one prosthesis per lifetime or completely eliminating coverage.

Families with amputee children can be penalized $20,000 or more because their child has grown and their prosthetic arm or leg no longer fits. Even for older adults, it is absurd to expect them to use only one prosthesis in their lifetime. We are seeking legislation that would ensure that children and adults have fair access to arms and legs that keep them active and productive at home and at school.

Seventeen other states have prosthetic parity legislation to help amputees by preventing unjust limits on their insurance coverage. I urge Suncoast residents to contact their legislators and support this important initiative.

Michael R. Rieth

St. Petersburg

The writer is a licensed prosthetist-orthotist with St. Petersburg Limb & Brace.

Cruddy center

Editor:

Your Jan. 2 editorial identified the problem, the nation's high unemployment rate, but failed to mention 1) the anemic nature of the stimulus, which has only spent 4 percent on infrastructure and 2) tight-fisted banks.

I loved James Hibbs' op-ed page column on the lifting of the ban on federal funding for needle-exchange programs for drug addicts. It was a pleasant surprise to learn something so progressive had happened.

The Progressive tradition dates back to the American Revolution, and all kinds of people have been involved in progressive causes. "Centrism" is crud.

Jack Dignis

Tarpon Springs

First Bob right

Editor:

Thank you for publishing that excellent letter to the editor "Victory Metric," by the first Bob Wilson. Although the second Bob Wilson thought it was "nutty," I read it as a satiric comment on the folly of trying to remake Afghanistan in our image. And, yes, I agree with many of your readers that we need a third party.

A.T. Mangan

Palm Harbor