Local health pros like Obama’s cure for health-care woes [Duluth News Tribune, Minn.]

March 15--A panel of local health professionals lauded the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday, saying it's beginning to change the course of a health-care system that ranks far below other industrialized nations and denies care to vulnerable citizens.

"It's ending the worst insurance company abuses," said Jeanette Martimo, a registered nurse, about the health-reform law. "It's taking the power away from the insurance companies and giving it to the people, to the patients. And that helps us nurses do our jobs."

Martimo was among two nurses and six doctors who appeared at a news conference staged by Obama for America Minnesota at Democratic campaign headquarters, 134 W. First St.

The event comes at a pivotal time for the law that President Obama championed. The second-year anniversary of the law's signing is March 23. Three days later, the U.S. Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments on the constitutionality of a portion of the law that mandates individual health insurance.

Moreover, the health-care law is likely to be a key issue in this year's presidential campaign, with polls showing mixed views from the public. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released Tuesday said 41 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the law and 40 percent unfavorable. An Associated Press/GfK poll out last week showed 35 percent supporting the law and 47 percent opposed.

Dr. Dan Campbell, a member of the panel, said the tepid support is the product of misleading information.

"It's just pure, simple propaganda, disinformation," he said, citing reports that the law creates "death panels" to deny coverage to senior citizens with certain conditions. "It's much easier to frighten people by telling them they're going to lose health care ... than to talk about something that will help all of us."

The reality, Campbell said, is that insurance companies have been acting as de facto death panels by denying coverage.

The law doesn't have universal support in the medical profession.

Dr. Patrick Hall, an orthopedic surgeon with Orthopedic Associates, said in a phone interview that he's concerned the law allows government intrusion into health care.

"Some of the fear is that this whole health-care law is eventually going to lead to socialized medicine in this country," Hall said. "I think if you look around the world at socialized medical systems, they don't necessarily deliver health care more efficiently and better and offer greater access."

But Dr. Patrick Schoenfelder, who is retired, painted a dismal picture of health care in the U.S. during the news conference.

"In the United States, unlike most developed countries, there are large numbers of people whose access to health care is either denied or significantly restricted because of inability to pay," he said. Although the Affordable Care Act won't be fully implemented for another decade, Schoenfelder said it's already making a difference. The improvements he cited:

--More than a million people in the 18-26 age group who didn't have health insurance before the law was passed now have insurance. The law allows people in those ages to remain on their parents' health insurance.

--About 4 million people now have insurance who previously either couldn't afford it or were denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

Hall said he agrees with the portion of the law governing pre-existing conditions. And as the father of a college student, he sees the benefit of extending parents' coverage to young adults. But he added a caveat.

"That's going to increase the cost of health insurance, because insurers are going to charge more for the family health plans," Hall said. "I don't think there's a free lunch there. You can mandate that kids stay on health insurance longer, but somebody's going to pay for it."

Schoenfelder said about 50 million Americans remain without health insurance. But additional changes introduced in the next two years will reduce that number by at least 60 percent, he said.

___

(c)2012 the Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, Minn.)

Visit the Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, Minn.) at www.duluthnewstribune.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services