I used to be not shocked by the Cape Cod Instances newspaper article “Elderly Cape Cod veterans forced to travel long distances for qualifying exams for benefits.” (4/29) Sadly, this is a matter for many individuals who reside in Massachusetts, and never simply army veterans.
Final month, I needed to journey from Hyannis to Taunton, which is an hour automobile experience every manner, simply to have a dental surgeon give me a second X-ray of my tooth to verify my dentist’s preliminary X-rays confirming me to have seven of my tooth pulled out as a way to get dentures for my backside tooth. The workplace go to took about 10 minutes.
I wanted to journey this far as a result of I needed to be put underneath anesthetics to keep away from feeling ache throughout this hour-long process, and apparently, no native oral surgeon nearer to Hyannis would settle for Medicaid for insurance coverage so I might not need to be totally awake whereas having my tooth pulled out.
A number of months in the past, my sister, who has pores and skin most cancers, needed to journey 54 miles from Pittsfield to Chicopee. My sister was instructed there aren’t any native dermatologists who would settle for her insurance coverage. That was why she was compelled to make the lengthy drive to see a physician for 20 minutes as a way to be sure that she had no cancerous moles on her physique.
I do have sympathy for aged veterans who need to journey many miles from their properties for pointless physician appointments. However, I additionally assume that each one the individuals who reside in Massachusetts, who’re simply atypical civilians, shouldn’t need to journey over 100 miles in a single day to see a physician for a non-emergency process or physician go to.
Bram Hurvitz, Hyannis
Senate should vote to finish baby marriage in Massachusetts
Do you know that youngsters can get married in Massachusetts, some as younger as 13? Since 2000, 1,246 youngsters had been married right here and 83% of these marriages had been women married to grownup males, in line with state Rep. Kay Khan, D-Newton. The U.S. State Division considers baby marriage a human rights violation.
As a medical social employee on Cape Cod, I’ve realized that women married earlier than 18 usually tend to expertise bodily and sexual assault, and so they don’t have any entry to home shelters or authorized assist as a result of they’re minors. Final 12 months, close by New York and Rhode Island handed legal guidelines banning baby marriage solely. However as a result of Massachusetts’ state legislation has loopholes that enable baby marriage, and since our state has no residence requirement for marriage, we might change into a vacation spot web site for baby marriages.
‘Making an attempt to be lean the place we will’:Record-high inflation makes Cape Cod living difficult
Not too long ago, the Massachusetts Home of Representatives unanimously authorized an modification to the state funds that may finish baby marriage. An Act to Finish Youngster Marriage. Now the Senate must approve the invoice earlier than it would head to the governor’s desk.
Please contact your senators to make Massachusetts the seventh state to remove this harmful abuse of youngsters.
Sheila Scott Gordon, Falmouth
