Braley talks healthcare, tort reform at town hall meeting

A majority of speakers questioned the wisdom of expanded government involvement in health care at Rep. Bruce Braley's town hall meeting this morning at the Delaware County Fairgrounds.

Dean Knepper of Dyersville said the taxing of productive workers to pay for others' health care will undermine incentives to work.

Knepper and others also contended that tort reform, which Braley opposes, must be a part of any attempt to lower health care costs.

Dr. Bob Roof of Delhi, citing an example of a Medicaid patient who visited a Waterloo emergency room 92 times last year, said efforts should focus on rooting out fraud and waste in existing programs.

Braley, a Waterloo Democrat, said that 99.33 percent of his constituents would pay no additional taxes if House Resolution 3200, the bill he helped draft in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, becomes law.

Braley also defended his opposition to tort reform, saying it would strip legal prerogatives from victims of medical malpractice without greatly reducing the cost of health care.

About 300 people attended the morning meeting at the community room at the fairgrounds. Braley was slated to hold a similar meeting at 2 this afternoon at the Lawrence Community Center in Anamosa.