Although I applaud the work of the Vashon Maury Health Collaborative (“Group seeks innovative solution to local health care challenges,” Nov. 19), the real concern facing delivery of medical care on Vashon is low and inadequate reimbursement from insurance and Medicare.

The loss of physicians who are able to accept Medicare is the true problem for Vashon’s largest demographic and one that is likely to continue. We actually have the same number of family physicians practicing on Vashon now as we did in 2005.

More physicians in the U.S. are opting out of Medicare or are limiting the number of Medicare patients that they see. In 2013 only 81 percent of family doctors across the nation accepted new Medicare patients, and fewer will choose to do so in the future. This is despite the growing group of retirees, which includes my own parents who live on Vashon.

The true obstacle to providing care here is the same facing the rest of the nation. If you want to support the physicians who provide services on Vashon, don’t offer to do our billing or order medical supplies. Fight for adequate insurance and Medicare reimbursement.

— Kelly Wright, ND