Tough Questions

May 10--Healthcare legislation was the main topic during Congressman Greg Walden's town hall this morning in the Baker High School gym.

It was Walden's first town hall in his district since he and other Republicans approved a bill that would repeal Obamacare.

About 120 people attended the event.

Harry Seaward asked Walden why he voted for the House bill -- the American Health Care Act (AHCA) -- even though analysts say the bill, it if becomes law, would increase healthcare costs for older Americans.

"When I look around the room, this is your constituency, here, sir," Seaward, said to cheers and applause from much of the crowd.

Walden pointed out that even if the bill becomes law, states could choose to keep parts of Obamacare. He said Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has vowed to do so.

Several people in the audience shouted "single payer" as Walden explained that younger taxpayers subsidize the healthcare costs of older taxpayers under Obamacare. That prompted the congressman to ask how many in the audience were in favor of a single payer healthcare system.

About three-quarters of the people in the audience raised their hands.

Terry Drever-Gee thanked Walden for everything he has done for his constituents.

"As for health care, there is reason to celebrate. Maybe not the whole bill, but celebrate getting it through Congress," she said. "Now it goes to the Senate. My suggestion is to listen to everybody here because we do need a good bill for health care and it's maybe a single payer. Listen to that too."

Drever-Gee said she is excited that the debate over health care in America is bringing people together to discuss real issues.

Walden said he is also glad that people are participating in the healthcare debate.

"Even if you're here to disagree with where I'm at or what I've said and done, I'd rather have you out having this debate than having people sitting on their hands," he said. "This is what democracy is about."

Walden said he takes input from his town halls back to Washington, D.C. He said the key is to figure out how to get a healthcare system that is affordable and works for everybody. He's heard many opinions on how to get there, including a single payer system, but "the key is, we need affordable access to health care."

Sharon Vincent, who is retired and happy with Medicare as her healthcare coverage, asked Walden why more effort isn't put into a single payer system. She mentioned how President Donald Trump made a comment last week that he is happy that Australia has such a wonderful healthcare plan.

"I've been to a place that has a single payer system," Vincent said. "It is possible"

She said she sees no reason why Medicare can't be expanded to cover all Americans.

La Grande resident Joe Hayes, an Army veteran who served for eight years, said his daughter suffered from a genetic condition that's so rare the genetics team at Oregon Health & Science University had never heard of it. Hayes said his daughter died at the age of 7 months. A Medicaid program paid for her medical expenses when he left his job to care for her.

"(That program) and others like it will be affected by your new plan," Hayes said to Walden. "The program saved me. It provided services to my daughter when nothing else existed. My little girl, were she alive today, would be considered a pre-existing condition of which we know now you and yours have shown very little to care for."

Hayes said free health care extended his daughter's life and saved him from financial ruin. She required around-the-clock medical care and had a hole in her throat to breath and was fed through a hole in her stomach.

He said he believes Walden and every other member of Congress who supports the bill needs to explain to parents of sick children why their kids might be affected by cuts in healthcare programs.

"There's people with kids being born right now, living that life scared to death that people in Washington are prioritizing money and insurance and the rich over the poor and the downtrodden -- the people that need it the most," Hayes said. "It's the American dream and you're threatening to take it away."

Walden said he would be happy to talk with Hayes about the program he was referring to and determine whether the bill would affect it.

"You're right, it's kids like that and parents like you that need this help," Walden said. "We believe it would continue under the (bill). That's all I can tell you."

Walden pointed out that the AHCA allocates $138 billion to pay for high-risk pools of people over the next decade. He also said he expects the Senate likely will change the bill.

Others in the audience expressed concern that pre-existing conditions would not be covered under the AHCA. Walden assured them that such conditions would be covered.

Shirley McLin said that 129,200 people in Walden's district would lose Medicaid under the AHCA if it becomes law.

Walden asked her for the source of her figure and said he doesn't think it's accurate.

"If you're on Medicaid today, you continue on Medicaid," he said.

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