Gubernatorial candidates debate health care at Portsmouth forum [Foster’s Daily Democrat, Dover, N.H.]

Oct. 31--PORTSMOUTH -- Of the three candidates for governor, Republican Ovide Lamontagne, Democrat Maggie Hassan, and Libertarian John Babiarz, presented their differing views on Medicaid and the future of health care Sunday, Oct. 28.

The forum was hosted at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel, co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Institute of Politics & Political Library, Elliot Health System and the New Hampshire Medical Society.

Hassan, Lamontagne, and Babiarz each seek to replace retiring Democrat Gov. John Lynch, a popular moderate serving his eighth and final year in office. Lamontagne, of Manchester, a former U.S. Senate candidate with broad name recognition, has stressed his experience as a business lawyer throughout his campaign. He said at the forum he understood small businesses in struggling times, would look to provide good paying jobs in the private sector in addition to a sustainable health care delivery system.

In answering questions from the panel of physicians on health care issues, Lamontagne said he would look to support low-income families, as well as seniors and disabled citizens in need.

"Why we would expand Medicaid to bring in 30,000 or 50,000 relatively healthy adult lives who are of modest means and bring them into (Medicaid)? I think it distorts the purpose of that system," he said, adding he would propose to receive federal money for Medicaid in the form of block grants.

Lamontagne noted he would support "a cafeteria approach" to health care, saying politicians shouldn't tell Granite Staters "how it is."

"If you have a pre-existing condition that for some reason you're not able to access that health insurance plan, it would be a voucher, in a sense, for that portion of your premium. We can do this," he said. "There's no question, in the end, I believe the market is going to be the best 'rationer,' if you will, of services."

Hassan, an Exeter attorney and former New Hampshire state Senate majority leader, told the crowd she would veto an income or sales tax and believes a strong health care system has been "under attack for the last two years." She said she would restore funding for uncompensated care and stand opposed to further cuts to health care.

Hassan said if elected, she would issue an executive order to bring providers and consumers together to directly advise her on the implementation of the Medicaid managed care contracts. She also claimed Lamontagne has refused to accept $1.1 billion of federal funding for Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act.

"I will ensure that it really works for New Hampshire, and the people that it is supposed to serve," she said. "Unlike my opponent, I will accept federal funds to allow us to expand Medicaid, and increase the number of people in New Hampshire with health insurance."

Lamontagne later responded to that comment in his remarks, stating he would accept that funding, though he would look for a way to tailor so-called "ObamaCare" to fit the state's needs. A spokesman for the Hassan campaign accused Lamontagne of "misleading voters," insisting it is not possible to change how the federal money is used.

"Healthcare is an area about which I have a lot of experience and our plan is very comprehensive," Lamontagne stressed to Foster's following the event. "(We would) be developing New Hampshire solutions."

Libertarian John Babiarz, who previously ran for governor in 2000 and 2002, is chief of the volunteer fire department in Grafton and a U.S. Air Force veteran. He told the forum he would like to see less involvement of the government. As governor, he said he would sit down with health care providers and look to the experts for their advice.

"Adding more government onto our current system is only going to get more political, and costly, and the end result does not help out patients, which is really what it's all about," Babiarz said.

Hassan told the panel she believes it is the government's responsibility to educate the public on ways to lead healthy lifestyles, and her administration would work to address "shortcomings" in the system, especially in the field of mental health services.

In her closing remarks, Hassan said Lamontagne had an extreme agenda and she would rather seek to follow in the path of Lynch, who has been widely applauded for his moderate leanings.

Asked directly if he would uphold abortion in the case of rape or incest, a popular point of contention from across the aisle, Lamontagne would only say he is "pro-life" and said that the issue does not fall under a governor's purview.

"This issue is being extorted to scare voters. There is very little the governor of New Hampshire can do to alter the law. In fact, very little," he told Foster's.

In the last few days before the election on Nov. 6, Hassan said the focus should be on the differences between her and her opponent.

"We're just working really hard to communicate with every voter about the distinct difference in this race. There's a really stark choice for New Hampshire voters," she told Foster's.

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