Limit Is Too Low

While the staff clearly understands the economic theory of co-payments, they fail to heed their own wisdom in this editorial. As expounded upon above, co-payments serve to foster greater responsibility for medical decisions by forcing individuals to consider the costs of their health care.

I share the staff's concern for the finances of the University's employees, agreeing that families should be protected against the financial hardship imposed by serious illness or accident; however, the proposed limit on copayments is unrealistically low. Union members should be insured against major catastrophes, but a $100 cap on co-payments will encourage abuse of health services--prompting individuals to opt for unnecessary medical attention without regard to the costs.