Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — The future of health care was the topic of choice for Sen. Susan Collins, during her Feb. 19 appearance at the Presque Isle Kiwanis Club luncheon, held at the Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
Sen. Susan Collins joined members of the Presque Isle Kiwanis Club, Presque Isle Rotary Club, Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development and Momentum Aroostook for a luncheon Feb. 19 at the Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center. During her visit, Collins spoke on issues concerning the citizens of Aroostook County and Maine, including health care reform and the future of rail service in Aroostook. Pictured, from left: A.J. Cloukey, president, PIKC; Barbara Blackstone, Division 1 lieutenant governor, 2009-10; and Collins.
Speaking before members of the Kiwanis Club, Presque Isle Rotary Club, Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development and Aroostook Partnership for Progress, Collins said the legislative agenda in Washington, D.C. included “no greater longstanding challenge than health care reform.”
“We’re a long way from our goals. We need to improve access, improve care and control costs,” Collins told those in attendance.
She said it was important for politicians to “look forward to passage of a bi-partisan law this year.”
“Many bills have overwhelming support on both sides,” said Collins, expressing pleasure that President Barack Obama was taking steps to bring about a workable solution.
Collins said there were a number of measures that needed to be taken in order to update the health care system to make access affordable for everyone.
“When we look at the uninsured, 63 percent are employed by small businesses who all want to carry insurance but can’t afford the premiums. We want to help small businesses be able to afford health insurance and help reduce the number of uninsured individuals,” said Collins, noting one possibility would be to support credits to offset costs.
“Insurance should also be provided to the self-employed, but cost is often an insurmountable barrier,” she said.
Collins’ second point in bringing about health care reform was to seek changes to the insurance market.
“I want to prevent denial of insurance to children with pre-existing conditions and permit children on their parents’ policies up to the age of 26. I’d also like to see standardized claim forms,” said Collins.
Collins said opening the market to provide customers with more options would also help keep costs down.
“If we allow interstate sales of insurance, it would create a more competitive market,” she said, noting allowing small companies to pool their purchasing power would also keep costs affordable.
Third, Collins said cost containment had to be part of the compromise.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development (LEAD) presented Sen. Susan Collins with a plaque, honoring her support of getting trucks weighing up to 100,000 lbs. off rural roads and back on I-95. The presentation was made during the Presque Isle Kiwanis Club’s Feb. 19 meeting in the Star City. Pictured, from left: A.J. Cloukey, president, Presque Isle Kiwanis Club; Sen. Susan Collins; and Ginny Joles, of Maine Public Service, who presented the award on behalf of LEAD.
“We need to reward value vs. volume, quality vs. quantity of service,” said Collins.
Collins said medical liability reform “could save $54 billion in health care costs over the next decade.”
“Doctors shouldn’t be required to require expensive tests to defend their decisions,” she said.
Next, Collins said reform was necessary to improve the quality of health care, through greater use of electronic records.
“Repeated tests occur when there’s an inability to transfer data from office to office,” she explained.
Collins stressed the importance of creating “greater transparency throughout the health care system.”
The sixth point on her list involved improving wellness programs.
“The health care system should focus more on health, wellness and prevention,” said Collins, adding the current system penalizes people with diabetes, high blood pressure and other diagnoses. “We should reward them for taking part in program to improve their health.”
Lastly, Collins said something must be done to increase the number of people working in health care positions.
“We must address the serious health care work force shortage, such as many Maine communities are facing. The County has a severe shortage of physicians. Our rural residents are older, have lower incomes but more health problems than elsewhere,” she said, noting this leads to hospitals being more apt to get into serious problems due to a shortage of trained staff and under-insured patients.
Collins said encouraging students to pursue higher education in health care fields was vitally important, with programs to encourage students to return to rural communities to work upon graduation.
“We should support scholarship programs whereby students agree to work in (rural) areas upon graduation for four or five years,” said Collins.
She said it was important to not just work on health care issues on a state-by-state basis but rather on an interstate basis.
“We should seek to smooth out health care between states. The inequities need to be worked out,” she said.
Collins said she’ll continue to push for health care reform at the federal level.
“We (politicians) need to demonstrate we in D.C. do not see health care as hopeless. We can work together to tackle a major problem,” said Collins.
