Pubdate: Fri, 10 May 2002
Source: Savannah Morning News (GA)
Copyright: 2002 Savannah Morning News
Contact:  http://www.savannahnow.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/401
Author: George L. Negron, M.D.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

ANOTHER MENTAL HEALTH CARE 'REORGANIZATION' HERE MEANS MORE TRAGEDY FOR 
PATIENTS

Dr. D. Ray Gaskin Jr.'s excellent letter of May 7, "Well-rounded approach 
used to fight alcoholism," pointed out that the disease of alcoholism and 
drug dependency responds well to effective treatment.

Untreated alcoholism and drug dependence are individual, family, social and 
economic disasters waiting to happen. The nub of the problem lies in access 
to care, which in turn is driven by economic factors having nothing to do 
with effectiveness of treatment.

In order to save money, many HMOs, insurance companies and small business 
owners provide few, if any, benefits for effective alcohol or drug 
dependence treatment. And publicly financed programs are generally 
under-funded.

Consequently, many in the middl class and working poor experience great 
difficulty in obtaining effective treatment as described by Dr. Gaskin.

Meanwhile, rumor again has it that government-funded mental health care in 
Chatham County is about to undergo it's fifth bi-annual explosion 
(euphemistically called reorganization) at great cost to the taxpayers of 
Chatham County and, most tragically, to our patients.

I call it rumor because the news media, our health care agencies, our 
governments and the public in general have been silent.

None of the issues are being examined or discussed in the bright sunshine 
of public scrutiny.

I fear that by the time the public realizes what is happening the deed will 
have been done, another grand scheme imposed on the public, and the seeds 
planted for the next disaster two years hence. Citizens, let your 
government know how you feel about this before they feed you cake instead 
of bread.

GEORGE L. NEGRON, M.D.
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MAP posted-by: Ariel