I have seen the recent government health care ads on television.

One of the items they jump on is the idea of an insurance company denying a claim. The implication is that if you have a government health Plan, the claim will not be denied. This may be true; the procedure will probably be denied in advance and the doctor told not to perform it. Instead of having an insurance clerk, you will have a GS-11 or GS-12 government employee deny the need for the procedure.

My personal experience with this comes from the Veterans Administration. As a veteran of the Korean War, I went to the VA for a physical exam. Big mistake. My income was examined, and since I earn over a set amount I was made to copay $50 per visit.

I also was told by my primary care nurse practitioner that there would be no test for prostate cancer. This was because the statistical guidelines indicate that at my age I might die with, but not from, this type of cancer. Aren't statistics wonderful?

I studied economics and know that there must be a mechanism for rationing scarce resources. Health care is a scarce resource with unlimited demand. Still, I don't see how a government plan can make better rationing decisions than any private insurance company. We need to return the rationing decisions to the patients and their doctors.

George Richardson, Martinez