No Need to Shout at This Town Hall
Updated 3:00 PM PDT, Thu, Jan 7, 2010
About 90 people attended a town hall meeting on healthcare reform this weekend in Long Beach, and most said they support President Obama's proposal for health care reform.
Democratic congressional candidate, Peter Mathews, who is seeking the seat currently held by Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, hosted the town hall at Long Beach's Sipology Coffee shop.
Nearly everyone was able to speak, and according to Mathews, most spoke in favor of a universal single-payer system or for a public option to be added to a reformed private health insurance system.
Similar town hall meetings on healthcare reform have turned into shouting matches by people opposed to President Barack Obama’s plan.
Under single-pay, a government system like Medicare or Medicaid would replace the health insurance industry. Under a public option, the federal government would offer a Medicaid-type program to compete with private or employer-based health insurance.
Opponents of healthcare reform say both proposals would result in a ``government takeover'' of healthcare, endanger the health insurance industry and increase the federal budget deficit.
Mathews, a professor of political science at Cypress College, opened the meeting by stating that ``more than 47 million Americans are without any kind of health insurance, and that number is growing by over 1 million per year. The private healthcare insurers, drug industry and big banks are spending millions right now to make sure that your voice is not heard.''
Mathews also said that the Canadian and French healthcare systems, which are financed by their governments, are ranked the best by the World Health Organization, while the American health system is ranked 37th.
"A government funded public option is absolutely necessary in American healthcare reform because it will keep private healthcare honest, efficient and cost effective," he said. "A single-payer healthcare system such as Medicare is the best. It will not bankrupt our nation or destroy our economy. Healthcare is a right and should have little to do with profit."
He said exorbitant co-payments and deductibles are causing financial strain and bankruptcy for thousands of insured Americans, while others are being dropped or denied coverage for pre-existing conditions.
First Published: Sep 14, 2009 7:35 AM PDT
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