THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507060013
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 26 lines
Three cheers for ``Nonprofit nonsense'' (editorial, June 26), though you failed to mention hospital corporations that have successfully exploited a nonprofit status to become big business. The resulting power shift of decision-making from doctors and patients to ``managed care'' administrators has resulted in billions of dollars of profits for savvy HMOs.
The amount of revenues that you attributed to the AARP are a drop in the bucket compared to the amounts that nonprofit hospitals and HMOs spend on advertising alone. Perhaps our seniors have the most to lose as their medical choices are made for them.
You are right: The nonprofit tax code allows for abuse and is an abuse. I can't blame our seniors for being wise enough to play the only game in town.
MARGIE RASHTI
Norfolk, June 26, 1995 by CNB