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Local Democrats discuss Idaho health care
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Ada County’s seven Democratic legislators met with the public at the Boise Public Library Jan. 5 to seek their input on how to improve Idaho’s health care system.
The forum, "Improving Health Care in Idaho," gave the public an opportunity to voice concerns and provide input on health care in Idaho. Groups from around the state were there to give information about how to access health care at little or no cost.
"We organized the forum to gather information for the public so they can access health care," Sen. Anne Paisley-Stuart said. "We are not looking to give handouts."
Sen. Elliot Werk said Democrats are not looking to socialize medicine and the issue is not a partisan one.
"The answers to people’s problems are not partisan issues. Problems with health care cross Republican and Democratic lines," Sen. Werk said.
Several citizens in the audience called for universal health care. Dr. Bill Whitaker, a social work professor at Boise State, spoke on behalf of Health Care For All – Idaho. Whitaker said the time has come for a single payer, single risk health care system in Idaho.
Health Care For All – Idaho says Americans pay more and get less on health care because of insurance bureaucracy and government subsidies for drug companies.
Insuring the uninsured was a major theme at the forum.
"The plight of the uninsured is the greatest tragedy facing America today," Boise resident Tom McCready said.
According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2003 more than 242,000 Idahoans were uninsured.
Other issues discussed at the forum included the rising cost of health care, obtaining pharmaceuticals from Canada, how to effectively spend health care dollars, substance abuse, suicide and mental health.
"There isn’t a one stop fix, but it’s definitely something we as policy makers need to be dealing with both at the state and national level," Sen. Kate Kelly said.
Randall Post
Assistant News Editor