Despite opposition, Harkin optimistic about health-care reform

By James Q. Lynch

The Gazette

CEDAR RAPIDS – Sen. Tom Harkin was greeted at a Cedar Rapids health clinic by demonstrators who waved placards from a national organizing group and told those who disagreed with them to “Shut up.”

Also on hand at the Linn Community Care Center Monday were opponents of health care reform who demanded to know how it would be paid for and, at one point, called Harkin “Liar.”

Between those extremes there was agreement that the current system of health care needs to be improved, but less consensus on what changes to make.

Julie Hooker of Manchester, one of about 200 people who attended the grand opening of a new site for Linn Community Care at 1201 Third Ave. SE, wanted to see costs controlled. She and her employer pay about $12,000 a year for health insurance, she said.

“Someone's getting all my money,” said Hooker, who attended at the urging of Organizing for America, the successor to President Barack Obama's campaign organization.

Beverly Young, 71, of Cedar Rapids, cheered for change that would prevent insurers from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Young said she and her husband were both denied health insurance because of pre-existing conditions. Not until they were on Medicare were they able to access good health care.

“I find it fantastic,” Young said of her Medicare coverage. “I'm willing to pay more to allow more people to have it.”

The $1.6 trillion cost of health-care proposals worried Giora Neta, 63, of Cedar Rapids.

“We don't want to spend the country to death,” he said.

Bob Benson of Cedar Rapids didn't like the “fluffed up” answer from Harkin on the possibility of tax increases to pay for health care. The Iowa Democrat suggested the possibility of taxing soft drinks, raising the taxes on alcohol and beer, and taxing insurance companies for expensive insurance plans only the wealthy can afford.

Benson agreed with Harkin reform is necessary, but said it should be done without such heavy government regulation.

Harkin acknowledged the range of opinions, but is optimistic about congressional health-care reform efforts.

There are people with legitimate concerns about insurance, choosing their own doctor or other issues, he said. However, the most vocal opposition comes from a “small subset who just don't want this to pass.”

“They want to stop Obama,” Harkin said. “There's some politics involved in this.”

Gazette reporter Cindy Hadish contributed to this story