Dear Editor:

When did getting paid become more important than treating patients? I don't know if this is an Aspen phenomenon or nationwide but since I have lived in Aspen the past year, I have experienced numerous instances of doctors having more concern over payment than patients. I know it is expensive here and the population is small but what happened to the Hippocratic oath? Or is it now the hypocratic oath?

I recently went to the doctor for an appointment and was informed I had an outstanding balance of which I had no previous knowledge. When I said I would look into it, they refused to treat me. I was told to call the office manager to discuss it, and when I did she said I was being sent a letter not to return and my claim was being sent to collections. I never even said I wouldn't pay it. And don't bother trying to speak to your doctor ... you know, the one from whom you purchase the services, because they won't speak to you about these issues.

People visit Aspen and think this is a small-town utopia, but the reality is there is a lot of hostility here, particularly in this economic environment. I miss the big-city doctors of New York City who put patient care first. The small-town doctor is a myth.

Renee Grossman

Aspen