Senator fields questions for nearly two hours in Enterprise

ENTERPRISE — Health care continued to dominate the hearts and minds of Wallowa County residents as they met with Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, for the first time Thursday night.

Merkley, sans tie, rolled up the sleeves of his blue button-down shirt and quickly dove into a question and answer session that lasted more than an hour and a half at the Wallowa County Fairgrounds’ Cloverleaf Hall.

Liz Powers, a local physician, addressed Merkley about health care. “I am wanting to hear what your stand is,” she said.

He attempted to dispel the idea that the Senate bill is modeled on Medicare.

“This model is how health care is offered to all federal employees, including members of Congress,” the senator said.

A member of the audience asked, “The amount of money you make and the perks you get is different than what we get. How are you going to fix it?”

“When (health care) is opened up to a big pool there is more competition to drive down costs,’’ Merkley said. “Often individuals with pre-existing conditions simply can’t get health insurance if they switch jobs. The goal is to put the providers’ feet to the fire. These providers have huge overhead. One of the challenges is health care costs have doubled in the last 6-7 years. Health care costs are up 60 percent in Bend, other parts of the state the numbers range from 15-24 percent.

“Individuals pay 15-20 percent more than when they are part of a group, about $400 a month premium. Being part of a large pool is advantageous.

“The health care act proposed is as capitalistic as apple pie. It’s been 60 years since Truman laid off trying to overhaul the health care system.”

Another citizen said that too much emphasis is being placed on health care reform when jobs should be the top issue.

“Jobs and employment go up and down over time. Some jobs don’t provide health care. Studies have found that employers that keep health care keep employees,” Merkley said.

One example of successfully keeping costs down was the Mayo Clinic and how it uses “integrated medicine,” Merkley said. The integrated model has a caseworker checking on discharged patients weekly in an attempt to eliminate a return visit to the hospital. The result is lower costs and healthier patients, he said.

Two companies Merkley lauded that have their own health care system are Safeway and Pitney Bowes. For their employees with hypertension, they offer to pay for them to quit smoking and lose weight. These incentives lowered the overall cost of their health plan, Merkley said.

The senator continued to address smoking and its dangers and costs.

“Four hundred thousand deaths a year are attributed to smoking including heart disease and cancer,” he said. He went on to explain that the tobacco industry is losing business and trying new tactics to go after young tobacco users. He showed a tin shaped like a cell phone. It contained candy with finely ground tobacco that has a Pez-like dispenser. Merkley claimed this product is an attempt to create a whole new generation of tobacco users.

A member of the audience informed Merkley that in Wallowa County there is 15 percent unemployment and 52 percent of school-age children are on the federal lunch program.

“A common reason that we have fundraiser events and jars on the counter in area businesses is to try and help people pay for health care. What has the administration done so far to help?” Merkley was asked.

Merkley replied that in the past few months the administration has released more funds to community clinics and the federal government has also expanded the number of children receiving health care.

A local rancher brought up the issue of improvements to the Wallowa Lake dam. The dam, which is intended to aid farm and ranch irrigation, would cost $12 million, with the federal government contributing $6 million. “How are we to raise the $6 million we are responsible for if we can’t get the $6 million the government is giving us?” the rancher asked.

Merkley, unfamiliar with the project, deferred the question to his aides to look into the project and help the local ranchers acquire the money for the dam.