Spring Break
Forum tackles the healthcare crisis
Binta L. Dixon
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: News
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The forum was held in the Brody School of Medicine auditorium, and attracted a mixed audience including ECU students, ECU physicians, health care specialists and providers.
The forum was designed to highlight issues concerning national, state, regional and local health care, and included a keynote speaker, a panel of health care professionals and an open discussion session.
The forum began with a brief introduction, by Blue Cross and Blue Shield president Robert Greczyn, of the keynote speaker Dr. Henry J. Aaron, senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institute.
"Everyone deserves health care they can afford," said Aaron at the commencement of his speech.
The major questions discussed included: is healthcare a right for citizens, how much health care is a right for citizens and the options for a society when the cost of providing care becomes unaffordable.
Aaron discussed the U.S. health care system, which he characterized as needing practical revision. He also shed light on the current presidential nominees' plans for healthcare reform. Aaron outlined the economic and social pros and cons of each plan, and shared his professional opinion on each.
"The chances that McCain's plan would become law is zero because it is such a far-reaching change in the health care system," Aaron said.
He also pointed out the risks of Obama's proposal to nationalize healthcare, in relation to the current U.S. economic recession.
"We should not delude ourselves into thinking that healthcare is a job for the next president, it is a job for the next generation." Aaron said.
The speaker ended by suggesting our government should put more efforts towards researching the best possible course of action for improving our health care system. He commented that the most shameful aspect of the problem is the U.S. government's refusal to investigate what would work best.
Panelist Dr. Pam Silberman, president and CEO of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine, spoke about the health care system in North Carolina and our need to "step up" in the quest for health care reform.
"Twenty percent of non-elderly people in North Carolina are uninsured," said Silberman.
She also noted that the state has seen a 12.5 percent decline in employee coverage. However, the state has also showed some incentive in the way of health care improvement -opening the first office of world health in the country.
Silberman made it clear that there is still more to be done.
"We are not a healthy state," Silberman said, referring to North Carolina's ranking of 34 out of 50 in obesity rates.
The forum came to a close around 12:15 p.m. and many attendees were impressed with the discussion.
"I was pleasantly surprised with the presentation," said Jean Whitfield, 3HC home health services employee.
This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Susan
posted 10/09/08 @ 1:09 AM EST
It's a shame that someone did not cover one of the major problems in healthcare in North Carolina: that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, a non-profit company, under the leadership of Robert Greczyn, has severely cut benefits for policy holders while raising rates,allowing himself and others in high BCBS positions to be paid millions of dollars, sponsored race car teams for legislators sons and lots of other not-really-bribes under state law. (Continued…)
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