Candidates, medical professionals discuss health care at Osage Community Centre forum

Health care was a hot topic Thursday at the Osage Community Centre in Cape Girardeau.

About 50 community members listened to candidates and medical professionals discuss the state's health-care issues at a forum sponsored by the Missouri Hospital Association, Saint Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital.

"The business of Missouri is health care," Missouri Hospital Association president Marc Smith said. "Your growth in Southeast Missouri depends in no small measure [on] how you're meeting the needs of a quality educational system and a quality health-care system."

Citing statistics from his association, Smith said that one of every 19 jobs in Missouri are in the health-care industry. He said about 14,200 physicians and surgeons work in the industry.

Therefore, Smith said, it is the responsibility of those employees to provide a safe haven in times of crisis and offer life-saving emergency services at any hour.

"The hospital is an important community partner for each of you," Smith said. "The local hospital is a place where can count on needs being met in safe environment."

However, Smith said, several factors are placing a strain on quality health care.

He said while employer-sponsored insurance is declining, the number of uninsured Missourians continues to rise. Smith said that about 729,000 Missourians are uninsured. From 2000 to 2007, the percentage of companies offering health insurance declined from 69 to 60 percent, Smith said.

"The assumption has always been that the employer provides health-care insurance," Smith said. "Whether you believe that access to affordable health care is a right or a privilege you earn, it doesn't change the reality for people in our community.

"They get sick and get care," he said. "And it will be paid for, whether it's through the employer or through the taxpayer."

Therefore, Smith said, the public must be proactive by contacting their legislators.

Among the legislators on hand for the discussion were Clint Tracy, a Republican candidate for the 158th District Missouri House seat, and Jason Crowell, a Republican candidate for the 27th District Senate seat. Crowell's Democratic opponent, Linda Sanders, was unable to attend the event but provided a letter of her viewpoints on the issue.

"I would not support anything that isn't honest or good for health care," Sanders wrote. "... We need to fight for the living and care for the unborn when they arrive. ... No one should die because he or she does not receive health care."

Crowell said health-care costs could be reduced if citizens would be proactive and take care of themselves physically.

"While we can put someone on Medicaid, we can't do anything to curb their smoking addiction," Crowell said of his example. "You'll get sick if you smoke cigarettes.

"Even if you put people on the Medicaid system, you can't change that behavior," he said. "You and I as tax payers are forced to subsidize that poor lifestyle choice. Elected officials and taxpayers have some responsibility but the beneficiary of Medicaid or the insurance plan has some responsibility as well."

Tracy equated health insurance to car insurance.

"Just like driving a car, you need insurance for your health," he said. "And we have to find a way to provide affordable health care to folks that fits the needs of everyone as well as we can and make it affordable."

bblackwell@semissourian.com

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