PROPOSAL TO STOP PROTON MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENTS.

I oppose any effort to stop medicare reimbursement for proton prostate cancer therapy. To me it looks like another step towards socialized medical care. Further, you can bet your bottom ''buck''on this, our elected officials (who are NOT on medicare) would even think about eliminating this treatment from their ''golden parachute'' lifetime family medical plan, (even though they may ''serve his or her district for only two or four years).

On [PHI Redacted] completed the proton therapy treatment for prostate cancer. This therapy was recommended by the urologist [PHI Redacted] contacted to determine if [PHI Redacted] did, in fact, have prostate cancer. The biopsy was positive and he sent [PHI Redacted] to the medical center for further testing to confirm his findings. The cancer was confirmed but luckily for [PHI Redacted], it had not left the prostate. The urologist discussed 6 or 7 options for treating [PHI Redacted] cancer. All considered, he said he could only recommend one and that was the proton treatment therapy. (His specialty was the freezing procedure.)

The 42 Proton therapy treatments [PHI Redacted] received were administered by a team of professionals in a truly professional manner. [PHI Redacted] doctor encouraged [PHI Redacted] to keep physically active while being treated. If one was not particularly active he suggested walking or water aerobics. [PHI Redacted]