Tuesday, January 6, 1998

Postal watch

The Dec. 27 Reporter-News article about the billion-dollar profit the Postal Service expects has me somewhat confused.

As postal workers, non-management employees are under a national contract that determines our pay and benefits. What's confusing is, thousands of postal employees are eligible for the bonuses the article mentioned. Bonuses of up to $12,000 at that!

The article said managers and mail carriers were eligible for these bonuses, which excludes the majority of all postal workers. Those excluded are clerks, mail processors, mail handlers, maintenance truck drivers, special delivery messengers, etc. These employees are the backbone of the postal service and also the invisible force that moves the mail and supports that operation. None of which earn the kind of money that Mr. Riley makes in Washington.

These invisible workers are the ones who work all sorts of strange hours while everyone else sleeps. These employees are the ones who can either make or break a manager in the Postal Service. I think most of them would like to see a list of non-management employees who actually received one of these bonuses.

There are more than 250,000 of these employees nationwide, and all of us know what kind of jobs we do. It would just be nice if the Postal Service recognized it, too.

KERRY HALL

Abilene

Balancing Medicare

In response to Jane Hays' Dec. 28 guest column on home health care, I would like to commend her for being consumer-conscious and raising public awareness of fraud and abuse in the Medicare system.

There is a major problem with her assumption that the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 will prevent fraud.

The purpose of the act is to do just what it says - balance the budget, not prevent Medicare fraud. It will convert much of Medicare to a managed care system as well as cut Medicare spending by $115 billion over the next five years. Some of the major cuts are home health, $16.2 billion; skilled nursing, $9.5 billion; hospitals, $48.6 billion; and Part B outpatient therapy, $1.7 billion.

For honest providers and caregivers of Medicare patients, it is a daily battle filled with many frustrations and disappointments trying to provide adequate care with the current system. How can it possibly get any better with less resources to work with?

Those who have found ways to commit fraud and abuse with the current system will continue to find loopholes and utilize "creative billing methods" just as they have in the past, and the victims will continue to be the recipients of the Medicare program.

I urge those who are or will be recipients of Medicare to take a close look at the changes in the system that have been passed basically without your awareness. Your future medical care and health could depend on it.

CURTIS MOORE

Abilene

Via e-mail

Wasn't a birthmark

It is great disgust that I have for the Reporter-News for eliciting $20 for a picture of my child to be in the "Babies of '97," only to find that on the picture I had sent, she now has a big red dot by her lower right eye.

Obviously this is from some of the red ink used in the ad. But, nonetheless, it was my hard-earned money, and I am disgusted with the result.

This is cause enough for me to terminate our subscription to the Reporter-News. This is the first thing friends and family noticed in the paper. "We saw Kennedy in the paper. She's so cute and ... hey, what's that red thing under her eye?"

Thank you not very much for printing my precious daughter's picture.

HELEN CUPIDO

Abilene

Via e-mail