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Barnett: Avoid health care takeover
Published 8/20/2009 in Local News : Politics
By STEPHANIE FARLEY
While U.S. Congressional candidate and Kansas Sen. Jim Barnett is happy to see the national debate occurring over health care reform and how that reform should be done, he finds himself hearing concerns from state residents on a government takeover of health care.
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Barnett
Barnett, 55, R-Emporia, is campaigning for the congressional seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays, who will be vying for Sen. Sam Brownback's seat next year as Brownback runs for Kansas governor. Barnett wrapped up a three-day senior listening tour Wednesday, including stops in Garden City, Scott City, Ulysses and other parts of western Kansas.
As a fourth-generation farm kid practicing medicine, Barnett said, issues of agriculture and health care are the top concerns he sees for the 1st Congressional District, which includes 69 counties. He's looking to bring knowledge and experience in the health care setting to Washington, D.C., and to continue carrying out his motto of, "Do no harm."
According to Barnett, "Health care is one of the most pressing issues we face. Quality, affordable and accessible health care cannot be the product of government takeover, but rather an important partnership between the public and private sectors."
Like the concerns he heard on the tour, Barnett believes a health care takeover would lead to more debt for the nation to bear. And residents already are concerned with excessive government spending, Barnett said.
Barnett said he also heard concerns from hospitals -- the "Big First" has 75 hospitals, Barnett said, or 74 if St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Larned closes -- on how much defensive medicine and the high cost of that hospitals must practice now. Defensive medicine are medical practices designed to avert the future possibility of malpractice suits.
Barnett also cited the recent election to allow a budget increase for Kearny County Hospital failing in July. The hospital was requesting $1,849,152, or 6.796 mills, to help fund, among other capital costs, the government-mandated Electronic Health Records (EHR) system implementation. The government is pushing hospitals to convert from a paper records system to a complete electronic system. Hospitals that haven't started implementing the EHR program could start to see a cut in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement in 2015.
Barnett sees capital funding for hospitals in the 1st District only becoming more critical. As a physician, Barnett believes the switch to electronic records is needed, but he said there must be adequate funding and no more unfunded mandates.
He also said residents he spoke to were worried about the government passing on the huge debt to their children and grandchildren. And that people don't want to see the government get into the same position with health care as it did with banking, lending and other companies of bailing out the health care industry, he said.
Among other needs, Barnett believes health care reform should include that individuals with preexisting conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, asthma, etc., should have access to health care and not be excluded; and if an individual loses or changes jobs, their insurance coverage should stay with them.
The health care debate won't be resolved this year, Barnett said, and residents need the voice of someone in Washington, D.C., who understands and is familiar with health care.
The government is spending too much and taxing its people too much, Barnett said. And just as individuals and businesses work within their means, "the government needs to do the same," he said.
Barnett also said the government needs to not do harm in an attempt to rush health care reform through Congress. By rushing or pushing the reform through, Barnett fears more harm than good will occur.
On the Web:
Jim Barnett for Congress: barnettforcongress.com
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