Congressman Nick Joe Rahall (D-WV) said he supports healthcare reform and a public option at last Thursday’s town hall meeting in Mullens.

In the fifth in a series of public meetings being held throughout the Third District, Rahall outlined his priorities for healthcare and took questions from  the approximately 100 people who attended at the Mullens Opportunity Center’s outdoor theater.

While some town halls around the country have taken on a circus-like and  hostile atmosphere, Thursday’s two-hour session maintained a respectful tone.

Choice, affordability, prevention and portability are among his priorities for reform, Rahall said.

He cited figures, provided by AARP, which show 770 families in his district bankrupted by health care costs, 99,000 with no insurance and 10,000 seniors affected by Medicare Part D’s “Doughnut Hole.” 

The Medicare “Doughnut Hole” is a coverage gap in which patients pay 100 percent of prescription drug costs when their expenditure reaches $2,700. Catastrophic illness reimbursement kicks in when the total exceeds $6,154.

“We spend more money on health care than we do on educating our children,” Rahall commented.

A public option, along with privately run health insurance plans, “will create competition in the market place,” he said.

He called the portability issue a matter of fairness. “If you lose your job, you should not lose your health insurance,”Rahall remarked.

The Congressman said he didn’t know when a bill would come up for a vote. There are three healthcare bills in the house and more versions in the senate, he noted. Each body will have to come up with a single bill, then reconcile the two.

A long term care provider asked about a possible $32 billion in cuts in Medicare.

Rahall said about $12 billion in cuts had been approved months ago.

He stated he would vote to “alleviate or eliminate” any additional cuts.

Dwight Meadows expressed concern that senior citizens would be negatively affected.

“Your Medicare benefits will not be cut,” Rahall said.

When Meadows mentioned media reports that indicated otherwise, Rahall responded that “the media has a job to help their ratings,.”

Byron Mullins, a retired railroader, asked about Medicare reimbursements.

Rahall said input from doctors has been sought on developing quicker reimbursement rates.

 Rev. David Polluck told Rahall that the estimated 40-plus million uninsured in the country would “flood” the healthcare system, creating waiting lists and a shortage of doctors.

Pointing to the existing government debt, he said a healthcare program “can’t help but increase the debt.”

“The pie is enlarging (with the increased number of patients,” Rahall said. 

A bill that would offer more attractive loan repayment rates could entice more people into the medical field, he added.

Polluck also asked about end-of-life counseling, a hot topic since it was was revealed that one of the healthcare bills included a provision for such counseling to begin at age 65.

Rahall said counseling was optional, not mandatory.

Retired educator Gene Reid commented that, by the White House’s own figures, the national debt will escalate rapidly in the next decade.

“I’m for healthcare reform, but I think we need to do it piece by piece,” he stated.

He doubted that most people believe the claim that the program can be deficit neutral.

“It’s not like I’m not for reform, but let’s do it as Americans,” he said.

Carl Ferrell told the congressman that he thinks the reform “should not be done piece meal, it should be done aggressively.”

“What is socialized medicine?” asked Jim Prater, who voiced support for healthcare for all. Medicare and the VA are forms of socialized medicine already in use, he said

“I don’t know anybody who wants to give them up,” he stated.

“If 40 million new people (are insured), I think the supply of doctors will rise to meet the demand,” Prater added.

Wayne Ravitch, a Raleigh County resident, said the VA is allowed to negotiate for lower drug prices and that Medicare should be able to do the same.

Circuit Clerk David “Bugs” Stover worried that a government plan would drive private insurers out of business.

Rahall said that wasn’t the goal and he didn’t think it would happen.

“There are people the status quo (in the healthcare system) has left out,” said Wyoming County Superintendent of Schools Frank “Bucky” Blackwell. He added that he felt Rahall would support “ a common sense” approach to providing coverage for the uninsured.

Jack Feller, a Mullens veteran, said he didn’t know why people feared government-supported healthcare. He had spent 20 days recently in a VA hospital, he commented, “and I received excellent services.”

Rahall provided those in attendance with a fact sheet on “myths” about the healthcare proposal.

Among other issues, the fact sheet notes that abortions are not covered except in cases of rape, incest or a threat to the life of the mother and that illegal aliens are not covered.

Illegal aliens will still be able to obtain care through ERs, he observed. “If a child in my grandchild’s classroom has a communicable disease, I would hope they would seek care,” he said.