Town hall meeting focuses on health care

Proponents and opponents raised their issues during the Aug. 31discussion held by U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, at Englewood's Hampden Hall.

DeGette represents Colorado Congressional District 1, which includes about 600,000 people in a geographical area that includes all or parts of Denver, Englewood, Cherry Hills Village and Sheridan.

About 75 people attended the meeting that stretched almost 40 minutes longer than planned and people left with different opinions about the session.

"I found this a very informative discussion," Englewood resident Joan Blackwell said after the meeting. "I am still not sure how I feel about this whole government involvement in health care insurance. But, I now feel I know enough to begin to ask questions and where to look for answers."

Rick Weinstein said the discussion didn't change his opposition to any government-run overhaul of health care insurance.

"The government doesn't have any business getting involved in this issue," the Denver man said. "I feel the congresswoman talked the party line and didn't really prove to me why this is needed and what it will do for the average American. I will continue to speak out and oppose this whole thing."

The meeting was an expansion of the congresswoman's monthly office hours in Englewood but, because of a show of hands, DeGette turned into a town hall-style meeting devoted to discussions about the proposed Congressional legislation to overhaul the nation's health care insurance system.

DeGette opened the meeting by explaining she is vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the discussion focused on the proposed bill as it passed out of that committee.

She told the gathering of about 75 people that the bill from her committee is one of three proposals that will be combined and emerge as the bill that will come to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for debate, probably sometime this month.

"We need to develop an affordable health-insurance system that works for all Americans and covers all Americans," DeGette said.

She went on to explain the bill her committee passed included provisions that assured an individual could continue his or her present health care insurance, prohibited insurance companies can not deny insurance for pre-existing conditions and cannot put a lifetime cap on coverage or cancel coverage because of a client requires long-term, expensive treatment. She also said there would be no change in Medicare or Medicade.

DeGette said the proposal would provide a Website listing the coverages and costs of medical insurance companies offer.

She said, to achieve the goal to provide insurance for the 47 million Americans currently uninsured, there will be a so-called public option which is just another health insurance option available on the Website.

When the congresswoman completed her briefing, the opened the floor for questions and about 20 people lined up for a turn at the microphone. There were statements of position as well as questions ranging from requiring end-of-life briefings to improving the Indian Health Care System.

DeGette took time to address and try to answered the questions. At the end of the session, the congresswoman said she felt the meeting was valuable because she believed everyone should have the opportunity to voice his or her opinion on the issue.

"We have been seeing discussions and debates on this issue around the nation and I think that is a good thing," she said. "There are strongly-held positions on all sides of this issue and it is good to have these discussions to debate and talk about this matter."

She concluded by thanking everyone for coming and noting that, for the most part, everyone was respectful so that the meeting could focus on a meaningful discussion that allowed airing of varied and different comments and opinions.