Letters To The Editor: The 15-Minute Doctor-Patient Relationship; Issues Of Costs, Medical Debts And Unnecessary Procedures; Physicians’ Examination Skills; And Other Thoughts

Letters to the Editor is a periodic KHN feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We will edit for space, and we require full names.

The recent story, The Latest In Medical Convenience: ER Appointments (Gorman and Colliver, 7/3), drew a number of responses. Here’s an example:

Judy Lay; Lomita, Calif.

This idea sounds fantastic. Having been a former ER registration clerk in a county and a private hospital, I know the grueling wait times for walk-ins, and I myself have brought home illnesses picked up in an urgent care waiting room. With technology in our hands and in our pockets this is an innovative way to harness its vast capabilities for the good. Another reader offered this comment regarding What The Hobby Lobby Decision Means For Employers (6/30): John Clark; Frisco, Texas Meanwhile, an insurance industry trade group offered this response to Proposal To Add Skimpier ‘Copper’ Plans To Marketplace Raises Concerns (Andrews, 7/1). Brendan Buck, vice president of communications for America’s Health Insurance Plans; Washington, D.C. Another reader shared her personal experiences after reading In Unhealthy Eastern Tennessee, Limited Patient Options Bring Some Of The Country’s Cheapest Premiums (Rau, 7/8). Kimberly K. Dorris; Scottsdale, Ariz.