The Treatment of Senior Citizens

* The senior population will triple by 2010. It looks like we have a lot of work to do; some of us won’t make it to that year! Somehow we’ve been elected to the level of “poor” and the younger generation benefits from most of our profit-making years.

Some Ventura County hospitals are canceling their contracts with well established health maintenance organizations. Doctors’ services are curtailed. In our two-person household a new premium charge of $30 has been added--another $60 a month out of our limited income. Prescriptions are costing more. Even transportation to the hospital has become a serious condition. This situation is devastating.

My husband and I are in our late 70s and just manage to cover our expenses each month. We do not run up charge accounts. We have been working in senior programs and assisting on various councils, a food program and transit issues.

Beginning this year it is scary. Do we stop taking the medications we need to exist? Do we get out of our programs to help seniors? Do we vegetate? How do we work?

We have worked hard throughout our lifetimes. With these changes, we are honestly becoming confused. Is this treatment what senior citizens in the richest country in the world deserve?

To our legislative representatives: Please get on our side and straighten out this greedy society that seemingly wants to annihilate its old people. Quite frankly, I would like to enjoy the years that are left on the calendar.

RUTH E. KINNE

Ventura