Residents protest health care reform near Loebsack’s office

CEDAR RAPIDS - Tea Party activists gathered outside Rep. Dave Loebsack's district office on Saturday to protest the approaching health care reform vote.

The protest came as the Mount Vernon Democrat and other Iowa congressmen helped broker a deal that would result in higher Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians and hospitals in Iowa.

In a statement, Loebsack and other Iowa Democrats touted a new addition to the current health care reform bill that will change Medicare payments to providers to a quality and value based system, not one based on a fee for service system, where health care providers are paid by the volume of patients and procedures, not their overall efficacy.

Loebsack said this new system will improve the quality and the cost of care in Iowa. But some of his constituents said Saturday they are still adamantly opposed to the way the Obama administration and majority Democrats are handling the overall reform effort.

“I'm all for health care reform, it does need reform,” said Steve Menzner, 67, of Marion. “I have problems with all the accommodations and kickbacks being used to do it.”

Menzner was one of around 50 demonstrators carrying placards criticizing costly government programs, such as health care, as well as lawmakers like President Barack Obama and Loebsack.

Opponents of the Democrats' push for health care reform weren't the only ones at the corner of First Avenue and First Street NE on Saturday. They were joined by at least a dozen health care reform supporters, most of whom were Democrats who'd driven down from the Linn County Democrat Convention at Cedar Rapids Washington High School.

“We all share common goals,” said Dave Chico, 58, of Cedar Rapids. “Unfortunately I don't think the current legislation is good enough, but it's an improvement over the present system ... I wanted a public option, but I guess we're not ready for it yet.”