Texarkana roundtable discussion on health care with Mike Ross
About 60 to 80 attended a health care roundtable with Congressman Mike Ross this afternoon at St. Michael Hospital in Texarkana, Texas. It was attended by physicians, hospital administrators, local businessmen, and others interest in the debate. The congressman hit the high notes of the issue and stated that he won't support a bill that (1) is a government-run, single-payer system, (2) isn't deficit-neutral, and (3) that funds health care for illegal immigrants or uses public funds to provide abortions.
He mentioned that the current system is not sustainable. In the last ten years, premiums have doubled the rate of income, and whereas then, the average family spent 7% of its budget on health care, the average family spends 17% of its budget on health care now. It was clear that while most in the audience agree that something needs to be done to the current system, they are against the bulk of the current proposals currently floating around the halls of Congress.
Congressman Ross fielded questions on all sorts of issues, and one in particular dealt with the ability to shop for insurance policies across state lines. He's afraid that such an idea could lead to a federal insurance commissioner, since each insurer is responsible for complying with state law/regs under each state's insurance department/commissioner. One House version also regulates insurers to keep from using pre-existing injuries as a basis for a higher rate -- only a couple of factors could be used (age, tobacco use, etc). It also requires 85% of premium payments to go to medical providers. Ross states that now, more than half goes towards executive pay, advertising, marketing, etc. Most physicians in attendance were concerned with an extra layer of bureaucracy that would inevitably accompany reform. Overall, it was a good (and calm) discussion on the finer points of health care and health insurance reform. He has a telephone town hall scheduled for tonight and a town hall scheduled for tomorrow at Henderson State in Arkadelphia.
I'll be on KARK at 7:15 tonight to discuss today's roundtable.
He mentioned that the current system is not sustainable. In the last ten years, premiums have doubled the rate of income, and whereas then, the average family spent 7% of its budget on health care, the average family spends 17% of its budget on health care now. It was clear that while most in the audience agree that something needs to be done to the current system, they are against the bulk of the current proposals currently floating around the halls of Congress.
Congressman Ross fielded questions on all sorts of issues, and one in particular dealt with the ability to shop for insurance policies across state lines. He's afraid that such an idea could lead to a federal insurance commissioner, since each insurer is responsible for complying with state law/regs under each state's insurance department/commissioner. One House version also regulates insurers to keep from using pre-existing injuries as a basis for a higher rate -- only a couple of factors could be used (age, tobacco use, etc). It also requires 85% of premium payments to go to medical providers. Ross states that now, more than half goes towards executive pay, advertising, marketing, etc. Most physicians in attendance were concerned with an extra layer of bureaucracy that would inevitably accompany reform. Overall, it was a good (and calm) discussion on the finer points of health care and health insurance reform. He has a telephone town hall scheduled for tonight and a town hall scheduled for tomorrow at Henderson State in Arkadelphia.
I'll be on KARK at 7:15 tonight to discuss today's roundtable.
posted by Steve Harrelson @ 8/13/2009 04:31:00 PM | Permalink |
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