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2009-11-21

2009-11-18

2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Friday, August 28, 2009 10:08 PM

Photo by Elliot J. Sutherland/The Ottawa Herald

Michael Meredith, Ottawa, questions Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., Thursday about health care reform during a speaking stop at the Franklin County Office Annex in Ottawa.

Health care struggles steal spotlight at Jenkins forum

By VICKIE MOSS, Herald Public Affairs Editor

One by one, they stood and shared their stories.

Elizabeth Smith, a 27-year-old single mother, works but can’t afford health care insurance, even if her employer offered it.

Brad Heathman has seen both the public and the private sides of insurance. He fought cancer while covered by an HMO, and recently had two strokes while covered by Medicare.

Denis Schlotzhauer was lucky. He was covered by a good insurance plan while working for the railroad. His sister, however, wasn’t so fortunate; she had surgery for cancer but died later from the disease. Schlotzhauer said he believes the doctors didn’t run more tests because she was uninsured.

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., listened to their stories at a public forum on health care Thursday at the Franklin County Office Annex in Ottawa.

She sympathized with the people who shared their personal tragedies. She explained her ideas about health care reform when asked. And, sometimes, she said she and some attendees would have to “agree to disagree” about the issues.

“If we can give you the money to go buy health insurance in a reformed marketplace where it is affordable, that’s my preference rather than to saddle the nation with yet another government program when they can’t afford the programs they have now,” Jenkins said in reference to questions from Smith, the single mother.

“I want an option I can afford,” Smith responded. “I work, I pay my bills, I am not a burden on the state, I pay taxes. Why can’t I get an affordable public option? Why are you against that?”

“A government program is going to subside not only yours but everyone else’s,” Jenkins said, a response that was followed by applause from part of the crowd.

Sometimes, the debate got a little heated. At one point, someone in the crowd shouted, “It’s not our job to pay for your health care.”

Another person responded, “You already are,” and Jenkins was forced to intervene, shouting briefly to get everyone’s attention.

“We’re going to all listen to each other respectfully,” she admonished.

Jenkins said she believes the U.S. needs health care reform. She disagrees, however, with the Obama administration on the best way to accomplish such reform.

She said she instead supports a Republican plan to reform the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, as well as look at medical malpractice and lawsuits.

“I’m just hopeful that when we get back in September, we’ll have a bipartisan approach,” Jenkins said about the next steps in legislative action on health care reform.

“I, too, am for universal health care coverage,” Jenkins said. “That’s why we’re working on this plan to do it but to do it in a free market system.”

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Health care struggles steal spotlight at Jenkins forum

By VICKIE MOSS, Herald Public Affairs Editor

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article | Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article |
Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.