Stop One: The Roundtable in Columbus
Posted by Campaign Team on August 07, 2008
We just got back from Columbus, the first stop of our listening tour. We heard a lot of stories (be sure to watch the video from the event) and had a productive session with local residents – some had fallen through the cracks, others can't afford coverage and a couple of people chose not to purchase it.
Some of the personal stories we heard:
- Two YWCA residents have to pay for their chronic disease medicine in 7-10 day increments.
- A small business owner sharing his frustration over offering coverage to his employees - but being turned down because they can't afford it.
- Two recent college graduates who can't find affordable coverage.
- A mother of three who described being covered by Medicaid when her husband lost his job, and is now uninsured while waiting for his new job's benefits to begin.
- A young man who explained that he chooses not to purchase insurance but would be willing to pay increased taxes to ensure coverage for all Americans.
We heard a lot about the high cost of medical care and why coverage costs so much in the first place. It was encouraging to see that though this diverse group of people came to the roundtable with different perspectives, all agreed that getting control of health care costs must be at the top of the national agenda.
Also in Ohio, we met with state and community leaders who are working hard to bring people together and make progress on health care reform in the state. This discussion covered a lot of topics, but focused on: our efforts to reduce costs and improve quality; what goes into insurers' administrative costs; the disparities in health care that diverse communities continue to experience; the need for more portability; and, advances in health information technology.
We also used the opportunities to discuss some of the key elements of our health care reform plan. Strengthening the health care safety net, helping working families, enabling all Americans to purchase coverage with pre-tax dollars and incentivize states to enact reform.
Talking to the people of Columbus reminded us of the urgency of working together to reform health care. That's what this campaign is all about. We appreciated the opportunity to listen and to learn, and look forward to our next stop on the tour.
