Editorial was ‘unfounded’

Morton Barnett of Lambertville
Your editorial in The Beacon on Nov. 15, attacking my business, Bear Apothecary, was vicious, uncalled for and untrue.
   It was an apparent attempt to direct customers to shop at CVS, ShopRite and even Toronto, Canada, (stupid) rather than at a local business such as mine.
   Your description of two drugs was confusing and complicated even to me, a pharmacist for more than 40 years.
   You neglected to state the policy of the insurance companies includes refusing payment for certain prescribed drugs, medical procedures and other tests, even disallowing extended hospital stays for recovering patients. They reduce payments to hospitals, physicians, dentists, pharmacies and other health care providers while increasing insurance premiums yearly.
   Instead of making unfounded statements regarding my prescription prices, you could have made an effort to find the truth by contacting me or my business in person or by phone.
   For your information, health care providers have contractual agreements with insurance companies, which allows them to pay providers (hospitals, physicians, and pharmacies) what they (insurance companies) want, not what the providers feel to be a fair and honest reimbursement for their services.
   Your regard for the financial health of the insurance industry is very kind and touching, but don’t be concerned. All you have to do is check their financial statements.
   Your writing leads me to believe you may be a representative or lobbyist for the insurance companies, CVS or ShopRite. If, in fact, this is the case, perhaps you will be able to get a sizeable reduction on your health care premiums (unlike the rest of us) or even a free turkey from ShopRite.
   Regarding your effort to save your readers money, I would like to suggest rather than purchasing The Beacon for $1 that, instead, they buy the Gazette at 50 cents, the Hunterdon County Democrat at 75 cents or even the Trenton Times at 25 cents. This would be a saving of 25 to 50 percent at least.
   I feel The Beacon has failed its readers by allowing this editorial to be written, done with little research and no regard for accuracy or truthfulness.
Morton Barnett
Lambertville