Health care reform's impact in Decorah might be lesser than in other cities because more people have health insurance

Brian Vamstad says he has actually read more than half of the 2,500-page federal health care reform legislation.  The legislative and policy expert from Gundersen Lutheran was in Decorah on Friday morning to lead a seminar on the impact of healthcare reform in Winneshiek County.

But even after reading most of the legislation, Vamstad admits it's tough to guess how health care reform will play out in NE Iowa. 

He says the first important date will be September 23rd, when several provisions of the legislation will go into effect.  After that date insurance companies will no longer be able to improve lifetime limits on benefits and will not be able to deny health insurance coverage to children under the age of 19 with preexisting conditions.  Parents will also be able to keep their children on their family health insurance policy through the age of 26.

Vamstad says the impact of healthcare reform might be less in NE Iowa than it will be in other portions of the country.  Just 9.4 percent of Iowans do not have health insurance--compared to 18 percent of Californians and 25 percent of Texans.  That could mean fewer numbers of new patients visiting primary health care givers after they receive health care coverage.