I’m becoming frustrated with HMOs bullying their subscribers. This is a result of the millions that these corporations and their PACs contributed to Bush’s presidential campaign. Of course, the CEOs of these HMOs are part of the 2 percent that benefited from the tax cuts that President Bush rammed through Congress.

A large HMO provides my insurance through my job. When we had our annual enrollment last summer, premiums increased. Two months later, the company announced another increase in our co-payments.

I have a chronic illness and take multiple prescription drugs. The changes cost me more than $100 a month more for medicine, some of which are no longer covered. I have to obtain prior authorization with my doctor for these.

The insurance company uses these authorizations to slow the process and delay paying for the prescriptions I need. I believe that this is a tactic used to postpone coverage of legitimate expenses.

Even if they decide to cover my claim today, they have saved themselves 1 1/2 months of the drug. Then they play this game again next month. After playing this game with my health for one year, they have cut their cost by 50 percent.

These healthcare bullies will not change their practices until our government forces them to. That’s not going to happen as long as the drug and insurance companies are in bed with our president.

There has got to be another way.

Almon Mitchell, Lewiston