Area health care leaders reserve judgment on bill

Area health care leaders will dissect the national health care reform bill approved Sunday night before passing judgment on what the legislation means for Iowans.

“I think right now there's more that we don't know than what we do know,” said Darlene Schmidt, executive director of the Community Health Free Clinic in Cedar Rapids.

Schmidt said the bill would not negate the need for the clinic, but hoped that coverage for pre-existing health conditions would be affordable.

House Democrats voted 219-212 late Sunday to pass the Senate-approved bill, which extends coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans. Nearly everyone will be required to get health insurance by 2014 or pay a fine, with low-income exceptions.

“What happened is very historic,” said Jean Robillard, University of Iowa vice president for medical affairs.

Robillard was in Washington D.C., Monday for a meeting of the Association of Academic Health Centers. The timing was coincidental, he said, but the health care bill was the first topic discussed.

“This makes health care a right and not a privilege for all citizens,” he said, comparing the bill's importance to Social Security and Medicare.

Robillard said the legislation should increase health care access and allow UI Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City to deliver care more efficiently.

For example, patients should be able to see doctors for preventive care, rather than use emergency rooms as a last resort.

Democrats Bruce Braley, Dave Loebsack and Leonard Boswell voted in favor of the bill, with Republicans Tom Latham and Steve King opposed.

The three Democrats pointed to benefits that Iowans should see, including addressing the Medicare reimbursement payment inequity to Iowa doctors and hospitals.

They also noted:

Noting that last-minute changes were made to the 2,000-plus page measure, Tim Charles, CEO of Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, said it was too soon to state his opinion of the bill.

“We need to dig in and understand what has been passed,” he said. “I still believe that true health care reform will happen locally.”

Charles is calling on business leaders and others in the community to meet to discuss the legislation and build on what the area already offers in high quality health care at a low cost, he said.

Tim Ahlers, spokesman for Mercy Iowa City, said Iowa is well-positioned to reap benefits of a Medicare system that rewards high quality care at a low cost.

“The health reform bill is not perfect, but it is a step in the right direction,” he said, noting that expanded coverage is good news for hospitals that have seen an increase in charity care. “The cost of that care eventually impacts those who do have insurance.”