A hunger to learn about health care reform

Nearly 200 people packed into the Kirkwood Training and Outreach Service auditorium in Marion on Monday night. For an hour, they listened. Then it was their turn. They couldn't ask questions fast enough.

And while there was plenty of disagreement in the forum audience about which path our country should take toward health care reform, there was an obvious hunger to better understand this complicated issue that affects all of us. The audience engagement was real grass roots stuff.

The event, organized by The Gazette and KCRG-TV 9, also drew about 600 online viewers. A panel of hospital, medical, academic and small business leaders kicked off the program with their perspective on whether this nation needs a national public health insurance option and, if so, how that might fit into the Corridor's health care needs.

All but one of the panel members expressed support for some level of government-funded program to ensure that every American can get at least basic coverage.

The audience was much more divided. As observers, we saw a slice of how our Corridor community is reacting to the intense national health care debate in Congress. Judging by reaction and the content of questions, the folks who turned out - mostly middle age and seniors - appeared split on the public option issue.

That may come as a surprise to some. Recent national polls indicate more than 70 percent of Americans favor some kind of government health care coverage for those younger than 65 (not covered by Medicare).

However, Monday's forum audience tracked more closely with Iowans, who so far have supported a public option by just over 50 percent.

We submit that the more even divide is a sign that many Iowans still see good value in their health care and are leery of too much change too quickly. Indeed, the National Institute for Healthcare Improvement recently demonstrated high regard for the ability of this state, and Cedar Rapids in particular, to control costs and maintain patient coverage better than most other states. The institute cited such factors as more collaboration and communication among providers when it's in the patients' best interest.

If there was consensus in the forum audience, it was that Congress shouldn't be too quick to rush a major reform bill to President Obama's desk. They want their lawmakers to take enough time to be sure there are no unintended consequences lurking in the 999th page of what likely would be a complicated piece of legislation.

Now's the time to learn as much as you can so you can develop a more-informed opinion. Review the various bills online at http://thomas.loc.gov/. Then tell your congressmen what you'd like to happen when they head back to Washington after the August recess.