Forum panel discusses Obamacare

Nov. 15--The president and chief executive officer of Passavant Area Hospital laid out some of the facts.

More than 1 million Illinoisans have obtained health coverage under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare -- about 650,000 through Medicaid expansion and nearly 390,000 through the marketplace, Harry Schmidt said.

"But under the various health care bills in Congress, the positive gains we have seen under the Affordable Care Act over the past several years -- people getting coverage and access to care and having better health outcomes --would all be lost," said Schmidt at a forum Tuesday night at the Municipal Building that addressed the Affordable Care Act. The forum was sponsored by the Morgan County Democrats.

"We would go back to the days of the uninsured skipping or delaying treatment when needed, and then going to the hospital emergency room for care when they are sicker -- requiring more intensive treatment and leading to higher costs," Schmidt said.

Also speaking at the forum were three other panelists: Tom Frederick, director of Elm City Center; Nancy Thorsen, director of the Prairie Council on Aging; and retired physician Jim Hinchen.

"Health care is more than doctors and clinics, it is also social service, families and support systems," Frederick said.

Frederick oversees a staff of 65 employees.

"We help people with disabilities be as independent as they can, and it can mean anything from balancing a checkbook to providing 100 percent of their physical needs," he said. "Finding people to provide direct care is hard work. There is low pay and almost no insurance. If the Affordable Care Act goes away, or gets limited, the people in need are still going to be here."

Thorsen spoke about those that Prairie Council on Aging serves.

"Morgan County's population is older than the average Illinois county's population," she said. "If you're over 65, Medicare is it. If you're low income, Medicaid is where you go. So, Prairie Council on Aging sees people 60 to 65 who would like to gain access to the Affordable Care Act. If the premium is too high for these hardworking, middle-class individuals, we want to caution the seniors to make sure that any insurance purchased outside the marketplace still meets the 10 categories of service."

Hinchen practiced medicine in Jacksonville from 1980 to 2010.

"The importance of the Affordable Care Act was that it provided people who were previously uninsured with a health care problem to access medical care," he said. "I'm concerned that a repeal of the Affordable Care Act will take that insurance, and ultimately that medical care, away."

Judy Nelson, president of the Morgan County Democrats, was pleased with the panel discussion and the turnout.

"I hope as we go into the coming year that we will have other panel discussions on topics that affect our community," she said. "We want to provide local experts discussing national issues from a local perspective."

Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg.

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