Healthcare Reform Draws Crowd

WILLIAMSPORT --  A warm day and a hot topic brought approximately 80 demonstrators to the front door of U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, D-Dimock, in Williamsport yesterday. That topic: health care reform.  

Some demonstrators came to support pending legislation, others were adamantly opposed, like Ray Hartman.

“We need some form of health care reform but we don’t need socialized medicine,” Hartman said.

Side-by-side with Tea Party members in opposition to “Obamacare”, Alison Rupert, holding a “Health Insurance Reform Now” sign, said, “This is not a perfect bill, but this country will be bankrupt if the cost of health care continues to escalate.” 

The urgency for reform was echoed by many including George Holecek, who is paying $600 a month insurance premiums with an $8,000 deductible.

And against a background of anti-health care reform chanting, Kelly Amos put it simply: “Do we want to let more people die?” She was referring to onerous practices by the health insurance industry such as maximum lifetime benefits, denying claims and denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions.  

Distrust of the federal government, however, and its abysmal track record in managing other programs like Medicare and Social Security led many to question the sanity of health care run by the government. Secrecy and backroom deals by Congress and this administration have only deepened the mistrust.

There is no doubt that this is a highly charged issue and with good reason. It has the potential to be a bank breaker for the U.S. economy, a back breaker for politicians and, if not strong enough to finally rid America of predatory practices by the health insurance industry, a heart breaker for millions of Americans hoping to avoid losing their homes and savings simply because they got sick.  

Congress needs to take their time and get it right.

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