Victor Maccharoli - E.J. Borah showed up four hours early to wait in line so she could be one of the 200 to participate in Congresswoman Lois Capps' town hall meeting on health care reform yesterday evening.
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Capps faces locals in forum on healthcare
In an effort to engage locals in the healthcare debate and quell fears surrounding legislation that aims to overhaul this country’s healthcare system, Congresswoman Lois Capps last night addressed a crowd of more than 200 opinionated residents at a town hall-style meeting.
Capps, who has been criticized in recent weeks for not hosting a public meeting to address healthcare concerns, told reporters before the event that she has attended multiple meetings on the issue of healthcare in recent months and years with little interest from the media. One of three nurses in the House of Representatives, Capps called healthcare reform her “life’s work,” and now that it’s under a microscope, said she couldn’t be more pleased.
The congresswoman, a Democrat, never wavered in her support for the bill, known as HR 3200, or America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009. She said she is “proud” of its current incarnation and added that she’s looking forward to its approval before the end of the year, a timetable pushed by President Obama.
“I believe this was an excellent bill and I was very proud to vote on it during committee,” she said. “The system cannot continue the way it is.”
The event, held in a sweltering gymnasium at the First United Methodist Church on Anapamu Street, lacked the vitriolic screaming on hand at similar gatherings across the country last month, but was not void of outbursts.
The most heated moment of the evening, at least inside the gym, came after an audience member yelled out the question, “What is the hurry?”
The audience, which submitted roughly 100 written questions, was informed repeatedly that a “code of conduct” prohibited such outbursts, and yelled questions wouldn’t be answered. Nevertheless, Capps obliged, saying, “Because we’ve only been waiting for 60 years.”
Her answer was greeted by raucous applause mixed with hisses and boos.
The forum began with a brief presentation by Capps, who highlighted a number of issues contained within the 1,000-plus page bill, followed by questions.
Capps started off by assuring the audience that if a person likes the health coverage they are currently receiving, they can and should keep it. Nothing in the bill, she said, would force anyone with healthcare to change anything.
However, for the nearly 50 million Americans who are estimated to be lacking coverage, and those who have healthcare but for a number of reasons, such as switching jobs or becoming ill, are at threat of losing coverage, Capps said the bill provides much hope.
Along with forming a public option, which would essentially be a government-run insurance company to compete with private insurers and drive down costs, Capps said the bill would prohibit private insurance companies from dropping clients when they fall ill. Additionally, she said the reform package would end the so-called “donut hole” in Medicare, which apparently prohibits certain prescription drugs from being covered. If the bill is approved, she also said it would prohibit insurers from denying coverage to the sick and mandate that 85 percent of the money private insurers generate is spent on healthcare, not executive salaries.
In recent weeks, the public option has garnered significant criticism, and the possibility exists that when a final bill is voted upon, it could lack this piece. When asked if she would support a bill without the public option, Capps declined to answer directly, saying she wouldn’t want to paint herself into a corner on the subject.
Yet, Capps said she’s confident the public option will survive its remaining obstacles and be part of the final bill. Without it, Capps said many of the goals of healthcare reform wouldn’t be met.
On the public option, she said: “I know of no other way to [provide competition with private insurers and drive down costs] than the public option.”
The new, “robust” healthcare system, Capps said, would initially cost the government money, but in the long term would become “deficit neutral.”
Pressed by public questions on how this would be possible, Capps said the bill would allow the government, through Medicare reform, to cut costs in this area over the next decade by $500 billion. She said this level of savings would be reached by cracking down on Medicare and Medicaid fraud.
But, it’s likely the bulk of any long term savings would come from flipping the healthcare industry’s tendency to be a “disease-based system,” as Capps called it, to a “health based system.” The difference, she explained, is that the current system, especially with tens of millions of uninsured residents forgoing preventative care and landing in emergency rooms, is often treating serious ailments that could have been avoided if preventative care was available.
By encouraging healthier lifestyles and receiving regular checkups, many proponents of healthcare reform say people will, in general, be healthier as a result of treating serious diseases earlier, or avoiding them altogether. It’s an equation proponents say will ultimately reduce healthcare costs.
Capps pointed out that taxpayers are already covering the uninsured. But under the current bill, which the congresswoman said would require all citizens to have health insurance, the burden making insurance available to all would be shouldered by everyone.
Dr. Ned Bentley, a local gastro neurologist and Joyce Lippman, of the Area Agency on Aging, joined Capps on the stage and chimed in on questions.
While Bentley said the bill would take strides to remedy some of the serious issues facing the healthcare industry, he said it’s “not perfect.”
One of the few matters Bentley took a strong stance on was his lack of support for a single-payer healthcare system, which some have said America needs to achieve true reform. On the other hand, critics insist such a system would be a large step in the direction of socialism.
One question from the public asked Capps why a single-payer system, which the person who wrote the question said has been successful in other countries, hasn’t been sought.
Capps said it’s clear the country is “not ready for such a major change from the system we now have.”
“We need comprehensive reform and we need a bill that can pass,” she added.
While Capps said she wouldn’t support any efforts by her colleagues in the coming months to insert a single-payer system at the federal level, she expressed support for Congressman Dennis Kucinich, a Democrat from Ohio, in his drive to allow states to choose to implement single-payer systems.
Bentley countered that any talk of a single-payer would quickly “derail” needed reform. Furthermore, he assured Capps that a single-payer system “is not something the general public wants.”
The forum might well have been the hottest ticket in town. A line began to build more than two hours before the event started. At 5 p.m., an hour before Capps took the stage, the line was a block long.
While opponents to the healthcare reform bill appeared to be outnumbered by supporters inside, a dedicated group of critics remained stood by outside. Some could be heard singing in a bullhorn outside the church’s front door, and according to those who didn’t get in, debates outside were heated.
Bib Wilke, an 80-year-old Goleta man who is adamantly opposed to the bill, said he stood in line for more than an hour just to hear what Capps had to say.
Wearing a baseball cap that read “God Bless USA,” which had a Ronald Reagan Library pin attached, Wilke said he’s “totally against [the bill.]”
“The whole thing, it’s very similar to what the Germans and Italians had and it failed,” he said before the forum began. “…This plan is forcing everybody to be part of the plan. That’s dictatorship. That’s not Americanism.”
Wilke, who acknowledged he could support some type of healthcare reform, said he feared certain medical procedures would be withheld from seniors under the proposed bill.
Asked afterwards if any of Capps’ comments quelled his fears, Wilke said they did not. “There’s still a lot of unanswered questions,” he said.
Allan Robinson, a 39-year-old from Santa Barbara who remained outside the church throughout the forum, held a pink sign that said, “Don’t terminate seniors.”
Robinson said he believed the words on his sign would be a reality if the bill was passed, explaining that in his mind the only way to cut $500 billion from Medicare, as the plan calls for, is to cut care. He insisted the numbers simply don’t add up.
However, Robinson did say he feels a healthcare reform bill could and should be passed that guarantees care for everyone. He just doesn’t think this bill is the one, and wished legislators, if they truly can cut $500 billion from Medicare, would prove it incrementally.
“Try parts of it and see if it works,” he suggested.
E.J. Borah is on the other side of the fence. She arrived at the church at 2 p.m. with a lawn chair and provisions to ensure she made it inside. Her dedication, she explained, was born from her belief that the public option must be included in any final bill.
“I’m very supportive of Lois,” she said, holding a sign that said “First in line.” “I wanted to be sure to be here and show support right off.”
Capps said the forum should be available for viewing at her Web site, capps.house.gov in the coming days. She said the questions she didn’t get to answer (she only answered a handful), would be addressed in writing.
Comment on this article
: 9/3/2009
How the hell is the GOVERNMENT going to be able to administer a health care program? How many bureucrats will be employed to "manage" nealy 50 MILLION clients? Has anyone dealt with our State run DMV lately? How about the Social Security Office or IRS? The government can't even keep track or control the 15 MILLION Illegal aliens that are in our country; How are they going to manage 50 MILLION humans health care programs??? How about if the government enforces controling and regulating the COSTS of medical care FIRST!!!?
health care for all : 9/3/2009
Thank you EJ Borah for being the first in line to provide a positive face/voice to this meeting. I was one of the many turned away and was only going to show my support for Congresswoman Capps. I am praying that she and her collegues have the courage to stand up to the pressure to compromise on this plan and therefore water it down.
a physcial health/mental health advocate
Socialism works great... : 9/3/2009
...UNTIL YOU RUN OUT OF OTHER PEOPLES MONEY...
Why Not Just Pass This? : 9/3/2009
"Capps said the bill would prohibit private insurance companies from dropping clients when they fall ill. Additionally, she said the reform package would end the so-called “donut hole” in Medicare, which apparently prohibits certain prescription drugs from being covered. If the bill is approved, she also said it would prohibit insurers from denying coverage to the sick and mandate that 85 percent of the money private insurers generate is spent on healthcare, not executive salaries." Wouldn't this go a long, long way to reaching our goal of having health insurance for all? And other than the insurance companies, I doubt there would be much opposition to the above. Let's start here, pass reform today on our current system, then work long and hard for a complete solution--maybe next year?
Common Sense Health Care
I don't get it : 9/3/2009
Wasn't the point of insurance to spread the risk? Why are insurance companies for profit? If we take the profit out of it (single payer), and focus on preventive care before folks get really sick, it would be way better than our current system. I'm a self-employed libertarian who can NOT afford health insurance or even some basic preventive health care. Paying for octomom and leaving me without health care is insane. You can call it socialism (implying that's a bad word) if you want, but unaffordable health care for the self-employed is bad public policy, and weakens this country.
long term, big picture (aka 'get a clue')
: 9/3/2009
Imagine how much cheaper healthcare could be if you didn't have to pay for CEOs who "make" $100,000 an hour denying your claims and raising premiums! Imagine how much cheaper it could be if you didn't have to pay for investor dividends and commercials to advertise drugs and gastric bypass surgeries at you. Your premiums pay for all that FIRST, care last. Maybe opponents work for companies or The GOvernment and get "cheap" insurance, nice! THat means that everyone else has to pay MORE to make up for your sweet deal, thanks a lot! Self-employed guy...no killer benefit package here.
BlackDog
: 9/3/2009
Oh yeah, ban Medicare and the Vetrans Administration and throw in the police n firedaparments.... COMMUNISM :-)
BlackDog
: 9/3/2009
pretend I spelled Veteran's and Fire department correctly :-)
BlackDog
Libertarian??? : 9/3/2009
"long term", you're no libertarian if you're spouting that stuff! Or does your libertarianism end when it interferes with getting some goodies?
Capps, let's trade : 9/3/2009
We were in line at 4:30 and were # 64 & 65 in the line. There are many large trees along the street so we were really enjoying the shade of a pleasant South Coast afternoon. Kudos to the sponsors of the event!!! There was obviously a lot of planning and organizing to get it to run smoothly. Many volunteers contributed their time and patience to manage the attendees. It was a pleasure to attend the event, until Lois started. Lois says that there is $500 Billion a year in Fraud, Waste and Abuse in Medicare. The Congress is not going to do anything to save the taxpayers this money unless we pass this monster of a bill. What nerve! She indirectly assured us that there is a Santa Claus. Our benevolent government can provide more services to seniors (buying votes from a large bloc of voters), remove life-time spending caps, remove limits on pre-existing conditions, add "47 million" more recipients of medical welfare (more votes) AND spend less. I am not convinced, rather I am disgusted that she thinks we are that gullible. We are glad that we attended as we did learn a few things. I suggest that you consider watching the video when it gets posted.
Garfield
No "faith-based" initiatives! : 9/3/2009
BlackDog, you may be content to support things based on what you "imagine", but I prefer seeing some hard facts first, which have been sorely lacking in this debate. Nothing about this is so critical that we need to rush headlong into massive changes with no real clue what we're getting into.
:: : 9/3/2009
How the hell is the GOVERNMENT going to be able to administer a public safety program? How many bureucrats will be employed to "manage" all the police officers? Has anyone dealt with our government-run military lately? How about the fire department? The government can't even keep track or control the 15 MILLION APPLES that are in our country; How are they going to manage 50 MILLION ORANGES???
JN
Poor reporting : 9/3/2009
You make this sound like it was a lovefest for Capps and Obama- which it WAS indoors for the Capps supporters that were let in early - no mention of the PO'd people who were shut outside. Next time get a reporter on the outside and do some investigation of how this whole thing was controlled and manipulated. Town Hall style meeting? Hardly.. it was an infomercial from the Democrats.. controlled questions, strict rules, supporters only allowed to speak.
Good point but.... : 9/3/2009
Socialism works great... : 9/3/2009 ...UNTIL YOU RUN OUT OF OTHER PEOPLES MONEY... What are you worried about? - we ran out of other peoples money 4 trillion dollars ago!! Thats what make this whole idea INCREDIBLY INSANE!!
Health care is not a dictatorship : 9/3/2009
What a bunch of wackos, the ones who claim that healthcare is like Germany and Italy during world war II. Turns out Winston Churchill favored the National Health Service in the UK. The strongest anti-Nazi, anti-Fascist in world history wanted health care for all. I'm tired of insurance company executives like William McGuire getting paid $124 million a year and denying people care in the current system: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_W._McGuire The black helicopters are not coming; no you can't take your gun to a health clinic (particularly one that performs abortions); yes, the US ranks something like 40-50th in the world in health care, infant mortality, life expectancy; no, the current bill will not require `OWG' to be tattooed on everyone's forehead. Lots of services are better provided by the government than by private enterprise: water, sewers, interstates, fire protection, police protection. Add healthcare to that list.
publis
Govt provided healthcare : 9/3/2009
Funny you speak of Churchill. Here is a quote from him: "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery". Also, if you think that the government is not greedy, or that they will run healthcare more efficiently, you got another thing coming. You've already changed the path of this great country, by voting for the wrong person, please leave me and my choice of healthcare alone. The uninsured are getting great care at my expense, and I am happy to pay for them in higher premium. I'll be damned to pay more taxes so Pelosi and Capps, both rich and famous, can travel in private jets... I'd rather pay it to the rich insurance CEO's who don't PRETEND to care for me than to those rich democrats who act like they care for us. At least I know that my money is not being sent to Afghanistan or Pakistan.... Americans are so naive....
Churchill supported UK's National Health System : 9/3/2009
Churchill supported the UK's National Health System.... odd that anyone would support Health Care CEO's making $124 million/year by *DENYING PEOPLE CARE*; they *REWARD EMPLOYEES WHO DROP FOLKS WHO'VE PAID THEIR PREMIUMS AND NOT USED MUCH SERVICE FOR 30-40 YEARS*. That anyone would support such a corrupt system is remarkable, and shows how messed up our Country's healthcare system is. Pelosi was rich long before she was in Congress; if Capps is or was rich, why did Walter ride the MTD bus regularly to UCSB?
publius
Hypocrisy : 9/3/2009
Do you know the meaning of hypocrisy? According to the dictionary "it is the act of pretending to have beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities, or standards that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy is thus a kind of lie. Hypocrisy may come from a desire to hide from others actual motives or feelings". That sums up our elected representatives in a nut shell... People help people not the government. No one is dying in America because they're being turned away from healthcare. Everyone can make monthly payments to any hospital after a trip to the ER. I don't have insurance and no one makes me have it either. It is my choice to not pay for it. I have gone to the ER and received the best care possible and I paid off my bill, monthly. The government can't even collect our taxes efficiently, that's why they contract the IRS... You think they can run healthcare? I wish they would contract other institutions for the DMV & the postal service, so they can run as efficiently as the IRS, since they are so good at collecting our money...
Pasasites : 9/3/2009
Think about it. There are three discrete groups involved with health care: (1) doctors, surgeons, specialists, nurses, technicians and support staff. (2) Patients. Unfortunately for us all, there is a huge and seemingly immovable object stuck squarely between doctors and patients: this is the third group which takes your money and provides nothing except hugely inflated billing statements. Think about it. What do health insurance companies and HMOs actually*do*? Do they examine you? Do they prescribe medicine or other treatments? Do they make you feel better? Do they serve any purpose, besides turning massive profits from peoples' sickness? Wake up and smell the parasites!
Bloggulator
How do I report those without Health Coverage ? : 9/4/2009
In my neighborhood, if I discover someone without Health Insurance, is there a phone number that I can call to turn him in, or do I just tell my Local Block Commander ?
Rod
Healthcare : 9/4/2009
Bloggulator: You're absolutely right about the state of our healthcare insurance. But unfortunately for the healthcare providers and patients, the government will be even more inefficient than private insurance companies. Doctors and nurses will not be paid on a timely manner and patients have to line up for healthcare just as we have at the DMV and the post office. Thank God for the UPS and Triple AAA. That's why the post office is going out of business. In the UK, the healthcare system is running out of money and they only have about 60 million people, 1.5 million of which work for the healthcare system... WOW... no wonder they're running out of money... They have the 3rd largest workforce in the world, the first being the Red Army of China and the second being the Indian Railway System. Both of these countries have over 1 billion citizens. I wonder how many government employees will be hired for this socialized healthcare? I think I will apply for a job and be part of the privileged folk for once, like Pelosi, Obama, Gore, Kerry, Bush and Clinton... Bloodsuckers...
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