I am responding to “A dog’s life” (Voice of the people, Oct. 18), by Sarah Michaelson. She complains that she was able to receive better care for her dog from the vet she chose than for herself from her company-sponsored HMO.
She chose her vet based upon the service level for which she was willing to pay. She was happy with the outcome. But for herself, she also chose the doctor based upon the service level for which she was willing to pay. She was not happy with that outcome. The difference between the two is that she paid for the vet out of her own pocket. Her company paid her HMO visit. Had she gone directly to the specialist and paid out of her own pocket, I am sure she would have been happy with the service she received.
HMOs, while not perfect, give patients service levels for which they pay. The problem is that patients expect tremendous service at little or no cost. No other business has these expectations. Patients should realize that they can obtain the quality of service they desire if they simply pick the doctor and pay him directly (just as Sarah did with her dog). Expectations of high-quality service at little or no cost to the consumer are just plain unrealistic.
