The Oct. 3 letter by Paul Cook in The Daily Reflector brings out the most uncomfortable thoughts of socialized medicine in the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP. This acronym is barely known to the public and its far-reaching intrusions into family life certainly have not been sufficiently debated in the Congress.

In my nonmedical understanding, SCHIP is being pushed by the Democratic Congress to promote government control of medicine under the guise of insuring children. Then coverage proposed for children of moderately wealthy families making up to $80,000. It looks like Hillary Care II to me.

Free or subsidized health care may sound good, but it gives liberals control over one of our most vital needs. Then it is a question of whether I trust my doctor when I am told to take some unidentified medication.

The Democratic plan is evolving into the patient either dying in the hospital line or being forced to take a poison pill. I would much rather have a health savings account from which I could pay for my own doctor, drugs and medical treatments.

Schools dispense mind-altering drugs like Ritalin to children with little medical supervision. How can a government program be trusted to provide the quality of family health care that we require?

I conclude that U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr., U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole and U.S. Sen. Richard Burr voted exactly right in opposing the SCHIP bill.

LEON D. BONNER

Greenville