However, large inheritances most assuredly are entitlements, since they are wealth for which you did no work at all. Those railing against entitlements should be in the forefront of the growing movement to bring back significant taxes on very large estates and leave the pensions of hardworking folks alone.
Stephen Sander
Westtown Township
School meals are not free
I feel true compassion for children, but I have a mixed opinion on the subject of funded meal programs in Philadelphia schools. However, I am sure of one thing: The Inquirer should not be labeling them as "free." You have repeated this mistake over and over throughout several articles in the past and again in this editorial ("Feeding their brains," Thursday).
Be accurate. Henceforth, please refer to them as "taxpayer-funded" meals.
There really is "no free lunch" out there. The bills must be paid.
Virginia Hagerman
Devon
Check hospital bill before you pay it
Your front-page article about hospitals acting to collect patient deductibles and co-pays while someone is still an inpatient should be accompanied by a consumer-protection caveat: Beware of taking out your checkbook or credit card and paying up per the hospital's bill before receiving your health insurance company's tally of who owes what ("As more insured patients fail to pay, hospitals act," Friday).
One of the hospitals named in your article presented us with a co- pay billing that I knew was not consistent with our policy; in fact it was double the correct amount. I wonder how many patients pay up front only to find out later that they overpaid? When the shoe is on the other foot, how quickly do the hospitals remit any patient overpayments?
One reason that I pay health insurance premiums is to have the insurance company sort out billings with health-care providers for me; they have the expertise and bargaining position that an individual consumer lacks.
