Letter to the Editor: Health care is going in the wrong direction

(The following Letter to the Editor has been sent by Decorah doctor Kevin Sand):

I'm very concerned about the directions our national healthcare and Iowa healthcare are going.

Nationally, the Affordable Care Act is under assault by Republicans in Congress and by President Trump. The congressional budget office estimates are that 18 million people will lose their health insurance the first year alone, if the Affordable Care Act is dismantled. The Affordable Care Act has allowed 20-30 million more people to obtain health insurance, which translates to many thousands of people getting care for serious medical conditions and has saved many lives.  Dismantling it without a viable alternative ready to begin immediately is highly irresponsible and will translate into many serious medical conditions worsening and an increase in deaths.

The State of Iowa is also trying to pass legislation that defunds Planned Parenthood and will also make it more difficult for local women to receive family planning and general healthcare at our local NEICAC clinic. This clinic has provided health care and family planning services for us in our community for decades. If Senate File #2, which has already passed the Iowa Senate, also passes the Iowa House and is signed by Governor Branstad, it may be the straw that broke the camel's back, resulting in closing of our NEICAC clinic, according to their director, Mary Ann Humpal. Instead of family planning  costing Iowa taxpayers about half a million dollars for the present system, it will increase the costs to approximately three million dollars.

I remember many years ago caring for a local woman in our hospital who was dying of a cancer that could have been prevented, had it been found in the earliest stages when the cells begin to be abnormal. Senator Breitbach, who co-sponsored this bill, did not say, nor did S.F. #2 say, how local women would obtain care locally. If they had to travel to Waterloo, for instance, many would not be able to get their care.  If you interfere with people's access to healthcare, people suffer and may die.  If you interfere with family planning services,  abortions will likely increase. 

The Iowa House will now discuss and vote on this matter. Our local NEICAC family planning clinic has decades of experience caring for our local women, and is already suffering financially because of the ill-advised privatization of Iowa Medicaid.  Call Mike Bergan at (563) 380-3974 and ask him to vote against this Iowa House bill.