Danville health-care community reacts to reform

Leaders in Danville’s health care sector don’t think the health reform bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday is perfect.

They agree the legislation gets the ball rolling on needed reform, but not all agree with everything being proposed. Some concerns weren’t addressed. They will keep tabs on health reform in the U.S. Senate, which must now pass its own version of a health-care bill.

“Health care is a balance of multiple things. Some of those good things have been included,” Dr. Bhushan Pandya said. “Many of the essential things haven’t been touched, or have been touched in a limited way.”

Pandya, chairman of the board for Gateway Health Alliance, hasn’t read the entire bill, but likes the extension of health insurance to the uninsured or underinsured. He believes regulatory oversight of insurance companies would result in more transparency of insurance coverage — a plus for patients.

His primary concern, though, is how the public insurance option would be funded. He wonders if the government would make cuts elsewhere, like in Medicare, when physicians already cannot afford to take Medicare patients when the government offers little reimbursement for services.

He’s not sure how affordable health care could be when one of the largest expenses of medical care — defensive medicine — is barely addressed in terms of liability reform. Pandya questions whether the cost of liability insurance would be affordable if there aren’t compensation caps for malpractice lawsuits.

Additionally, the legislation doesn’t provide physician anti-trust protection. Current federal statutes prevent physicians in separate practices from negotiating anything in any regard, Pandya said.

“I don’t think it’s practical to provide everything to everybody,” Pandya said. “It is fiscally not possible. The funding will have to come from somewhere.”

Dr. Valerie Hoffman, a chiropractor, thinks the House bill is a good start, but reminds residents this is not the final version. She doesn’t see a reason not to have a public insurance option, but would like more information on how it would be reasonably priced.

Hoffman believes everyone should be able to get health care. She sees local residents working full-time jobs struggling to pay for services and insurance. Those that can afford insurance through their employers often can’t afford to add their families.

“I think you have to start somewhere,” Hoffman said. “I don’t think you can keep ignoring this.”

Randy Lavinder, president and owner of Lavinder Group and Associates on Main Street, agrees that everyone should have some minimum health insurance as Americans are already paying for the uninsured through higher premiums.

Agents in the Lavinder Group are brokers that search out the best insurance options for employers in Danville and the surrounding area. The majority of business focuses on employee health benefits for Danville employers.

The company founder dislikes the public option and increased government spending and influence in people’s lives. He doesn’t think the government should be both a regulator and player in the insurance business. Yet, competition is key.

“In small areas like Danville and Southside,we just don’t have enough carriers in this area,” Lavinder said. “We need carriers to give us, as consumers, more options.”

The health care system isn’t working, but it’s not time to believe the problem is solved, said Frank Campbell, executive director of the Stratford House and chairman of the board of trustees for Danville Regional Medical Center. The board of trustees oversees hospital administration, not doctors.

Campbell would have liked the private sector to solve health care. Yet, he believes that “somehow, someway” it needs to become more affordable.

Campbell wants to ensure retired Americans, who worked hard all their lives, are treated fairly. He also knows doctors are under an “enormous amount of pressure” and would like to see malpractice fears resolved.

“All factions need to sit down and have a sane and sober conversation,” Campbell said. “We need to listen to the medical community.”

Now that the House passed its version of a health-care bill, Americans and Congress can truly delve into the issues, said CEO Kay Crane of Piedmont Access to Health Services (PATHS).

As an ardent supporter of health care reform, Crane hopes the legislation would put insurance companies in check. She said they absolutely should not raise rates or deny coverage for people with pre-existing health conditions. She likes the idea of all Americans having some type of medical coverage, but doesn’t know if it’s realistic to make it a requirement.

Crane isn’t sure legislation needs to provide for a public health insurance option. As the executive director of a federally qualified community health center, she thinks with the proper funding and resources, such centers could provide for those who cannot get insurance.

Now, if senators listen to the concerns of people in the community and not lobbyists, America can have the health-care bill it needs, she said.

“It’s not lost on me the huge challenge that creating health care reform brings,” Crane said. “I think we can work this out. I feel like the time is now.”