To the Editor:

I seriously doubt that there are many citizens in this state, especially seniors, who would deny that the entire situation in terms of health care costs and coverage here in Rhode Island, is out of control.

My wife and I just got a notification from Blue Cross regarding our BC&BS Blue Chip for Medicare Plan of Rhode Island informing us of our coverage and rates for 2010. Coverage is DOWN, co-pays are UP and the premium is being increased almost 50 percent, going from $183 per month to $256 per month – each. And, this is on top of the almost $100 per month that we have to pay directly to Medicare.

Bottom line here, seniors with this plan, supplemental dental and their Medicare premium are going to be looking at spending between $800 and $850 a month which, may I point out, is more than my wife's entire monthly Social Security check. And, the rate increases I am making reference to above, do not include dental. As a matter of fact under the new 2010 coverage, what dental coverage the plan previously provided had been dropped in its entirety.

I thought all insurance rate increases had to be approved by the Department of Business Regulation and the Insurance Commissioner's Office. This piece of correspondence is the first that I have heard of this. And, with a lot of the wording in this letter, it is almost as if they are encouraging us to leave and go look elsewhere for our coverage.

There is no way that seniors can absorb this kind of an increase, especially wherein it has also been divulged that Medicare premiums are going up and there will be no increase in one's monthly Social Security, which for many of us is our sole source of income.

Yet we have our legislators sitting back, comfortably, getting the best health coverage available, including dental, for absolutely free and doing absolutely nothing for their older constituents that are faced with this latest dilemma to our well-being.

We also have our public employee unions, especially the teachers, also receiving the best health and dental care available. They are paying nothing or close to it, and also complaining about having to do so while those of us that are retired, have paid our dues and are trying to keep our homes are paying obscene taxes so that all of the above can have what we can no longer afford.

What is wrong with this picture and what is going to be done to fix it?

Tom & Maureen Letourneau

Cumberland