In Case you Missed it: Foster Listens to Constituents Thoughts on Health Care
A few days ago, Rep. Foster held a productive round table discussion to listen to the thoughts of 14th District constituents on the issue of health care. In case you missed it, here are a couple of stories that came from the event.
Rep. Foster hears health care concerns during round table discussion
FROM THE DEKALB DAILY CHRONICLE AND THE KANE COUNTY CHRONICLE
BATAVIA – As executive director of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, Roger Breisch hears the concerns of small business owners.
And one of their biggest concerns is the rising cost of insurance.
“The insurance costs have just gone up so dramatically they can’t afford it even in good times,” Breisch said.
Breisch was among those Wednesday who took part in a round table discussion about health care led by U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Batavia. The discussion took place at his district office in Batavia.
As Congress takes on President Obama’s call for overhauling health care, Foster on Wednesday held a health care round table with a cross section of people who would be affected by health care legislation, including hospital administration officials, doctors, and constituents.
“Health care is often at the core of a family’s economic troubles,” Foster said. “I see that over and over again.”
The United States is the only developed country without universal health care.
“You have to have a serious discussion about the basic level of health care that will be provided,” Foster said.
Area group discusses health care reform with Congressman
FROM THE DAILY HERALD
Local health care providers were among a group joining Rep. Bill Foster Wednesday to discuss potential changes to add to the health care reform debate in Congress.
Executives from Delnor Hospital and the Provena system joined the roundtable, along with medical directors, small business owners and area medical patients.
If there was one thing everyone in the room agreed upon it was that the current health care system is not viable. Medical providers said they have their own dilemmas in providing care at reasonable prices while guarding against lawsuits, sorting through red tape from insurance companies and surviving reimbursement delays from the government.
The conversation centered around problems Foster said are still being debated in Washington. Themes involved determining the fair cost of medical care. For instance, is it preferable to charge a flat fee per case, or charge by individual procedures? Patients in the room said they'd love to know the cost of a test or procedure upfront before making treatment decisions. But doctors said that's nearly impossible to do because every patient responds to treatment differently.
Most people also said it is critical to form a plan that allowing everyone to have insurance coverage no matter how healthy or sick they are.