Gubernatorial Candidates

I have looked at the websites for all of the candidates for our next governor and so far I see no one who wants to lead this state.

What will it take for someone to put their mouth where their money is and tell us what they will do to lead our state? We are nine years into the 21st century, but we pretend like it is 1952.

Someone please step up.

University Medical Associates send money, jobs out of state

After having an altercation with an automobile on my bicycle earlier this summer that required medical attention, I find myself looking at a bill from University Medical Associates, the umbrella group that handles billing for doctors that practice at MUSC.

The statement has me sending my payment to a post office box in Raleigh, NC, which I think is wrong on several different levels. It means that doctors practicing medicine at a publicly funded medical university in South Carolina are using an out of state company to handle their billing, sending jobs and money out of state.

There is no doubt that UMA should be handling their billing with an in state company, keeping the flow of capital in South Carolina banks and employing South Carolina residents rather than outsourcing the business out of state.

Health Care Costs

Health care premiums in South Carolina rose nearly six times faster than median workers’ earnings between 2000 and 2007.

I would like to suggest, to all of us who are fortunate enough to have health insurance, that it is important to look closely at health care bills to make sure that we are not being overcharged by our health care providers, and not to just rely on our insurance carriers to do this for us.

Just suppose when you get your bills that you are paying for those services yourself rather than the insurance company. Don’t hesitate to call providers and ask them for an explanation of bills you receive.

This is one thing we can do to help lower our health care costs and our insurance premiums as well.