Health care dominates town halls

AMID the populace: U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley fields a question during Thursday’s town hall meeting at the Union County Senior Center. A huge crowd attended, expressing concerns on issues ranging from health care reform to immigration and plenty more. The Observer/CHRIS BAXTER

As at the well-attended town hall held last Friday by Sen. Ron Wyden, the crowd was mostly civil and respectful, though boisterous at times.

And like the Friday event, the issue of health care reform dominated talk.

Merkley, D-Ore., replied that most or all of the health care proposals being considered in Washington, D.C., would give people the opportunity to “shop” health insurance policies and choose options that suit them.

“It’s the same model that’s available to federal employees,” Merkley said. “If you open it up to all Americans, there will be more competition (among the insurers).” He said competition drives prices down.

“By creating an opportunity for going into a group through the exchange, there could be savings of 15 or 20 percent,” he said.

He said such health insurance exchanges are included in all the proposals being considered, including Wyden’s Healthy American’s Act.

“The chassis of that act is the common element of them all,” he said.

Merkley said that other things being wrestled with include “healthy incentives” that would provide a cut in insurance insurance costs for healthy behaviors, and management of cases after patients leave the hospital.

He also touched briefly on the so-called “public option,” a government or non-profit-sponsored health insurance plan favored by some in Congress.

“It’s getting a lot of attention,” he said. “It’s been shown that in markets where there’s a public competitor, prices will be lower.”

One man in the crowd who identified himself as a small business owner and insurance agent said he thinks the health care reform problem isn’t nearly as complicated as Congress makes it appear. Outrageous costs should be reined in, he said.

“There’s a 1,000-page bill in Congress and we don’t know what it does,” he said. “I have a three-page plan to fix health care. I don’t think it takes 1,000 pages.” He handed Merkley the three-page plan and asked him to read it.

Still another man in the crowd said he doesn’t think the government should be interfering with private enterprise. He said such interference, even in health care, threatens the country’s “fabric of freedom.”

Merkley said in return that working on health care is a key to the survival of free enterprise, because employers face ever-increasing health insurance costs.

“Working on health care is important so we can compete around the world, so our businesses don’t have their health insurance costs doubled. It’s tied in,” he said.

Another issue that came up during the meeting is the possibility of senior citizens losing their cost of living adjustment as a result of low inflation.

One man asked Merkley if he or other members of Congress would be willing to accept a freeze like that.

Merkley didn’t answer that question directly, but said the freeze is an issue raised often by constituents lately. He said the inflation index as it relates to seniors should be studied.

“I’m hearing about this at every single stop and we’re going to pursue it,” he said.

At times during the town hall, a person raised an issue that drew loud cheers and applause. That happened when a man expressed concern about immigration.

The man said laws in place should be enforced and illegal immigrants sent back to where they come from.

“Kick them out of the country,” he said as an approving crowd cheered him on.

Merkley agreed that immigration reform is needed.

“We’ve got a broken system. We need to restore the integrity of our borders and the integrity of employment,” he said.

Still another man used the town hall as a chance to express his views on the overall state of the country.

When he was handed a microphone to speak, he turned to address the crowd rather than Merkley. He spoke at length, comparing current times to the Great Depression, and criticizing military policy.

“We need peace and production and the reindustrialization of America. It’s up to us to take control of the country again,” he shouted at one point.

The man refused to give the microphone back when a Merkley aide asked for it. A policeman approached but the aide waved him off. The man then surrendered the microphone.

Many other issues were raised during the lengthy session, including the national debt, gun control, the Boardman-Hemingway power line, tort reform, abortion, policy “czars” appointed by the Obama administration, and more.

Merkley extended the town hall a half-hour and said he would be available to answer questions from individuals after the meeting.