Group vents over GOP health care bill

May 14--It's been a hot topic this past week, both in Washington and across the country, but the Republican-led initiative to reform health care has been getting mixed reviews.

That was reflected Friday in the gathering of a group made up of voters in Congressman Hal Rogers' district who visited the representative's Somerset office to vent their displeasure with the American Health Care Act.

While the congressman has been in town this past week making several appearances, he was not in the district office when the group arrived, nor did they expect him to be there, according to spokesperson Amanda Morris.

However, the concerns of those who showed up at the district office will be passed on to Congressman Rogers, said Rogers' communications director, Danielle Smoot.

The group showed up while Rogers was in a private meeting, Smoot said. "They did not schedule a meeting with him," she clarified. "We're happy to listen to them. I think this is a good example of how we're happy to listen to people at any time."

Among their concerns, the group were vocal about drug addiction and recovery, the cost of medications and pre-existing conditions.

One participant, Sharon Whitehead, said she was concerned with what she called an aging nation.

"We are not a young nation anymore, and we are getting older. I'm here because of what the new plan, if it's passed, will do to people who have pre-existing conditions. ... What happens to me if my care is not there?"

On the subject of drug addiction and recovery, Morris said, "I know one of the things [Rogers] has been most vocal about, and I appreciate it, is the opioid crisis. Just in the last month, I know he has publicly done several things about the opioid crisis. I would like a rational for how he could then vote for a bill that would allow states to say 'you don't have to cover substance abuse.' "

"There will be substance abuse coverage in Kentucky," Smoot assured the crowd.

Though he was not present, Rogers issued a statement in advance of the gathering. "Since the original American Health Care Act was introduced in March, I've heard from dozens of people from southern and eastern Kentucky about their fears and concerns for the future of health care in America. After additional amendments were made to the bill addressing some of those issues, including additional protections for people with pre-existing conditions, I cast my vote of support for the AHCA with confidence.

"The bill isn't perfect, but it isn't finished. The U.S. Senate now has an opportunity to help rescue our people from Obamacare's unaffordable taxes, mandates and broken promises. And it's urgent. I have received countless calls from people in our region who have been forced out of their health care plan and now pay the annual penalty because they can't afford the limited and expensive health insurance options under Obamacare. In fact, half of Kentuckians are left with only one provider to chose from, and some families in our region tell me they now pay more for health insurance than their mortgages. The people of Kentucky's Appalachian region deserve better, and the AHCA is simply the first major step required in this rescue mission."

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