Local experts discuss the country's changing medical systems

Five people involved in Decorah's health care system agree--there have been a lot of changes lately.

Retired Decorah physician Kevin Sand, Midwest Group Benefits insurance agent Brian Huinker, NEICAC Family Planning Clinic Director Lori Egan, Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health Director Marcia Oltrogge and Decorah Community Free Clinic board president Bill Deutsch spoke to a crowd of three dozen people Monday night about local health care providers and the state and national health care systems.

Said Sand of the country's health care system, "Yes, it is complicated."  He argues that the country needs universal health care coverage as a way to spread health care costs over the entire population.  He notes that surveys have shown people who do not have health insurance coverage have a 25 percent greater chance of dying early than do people with health insurance.

Huinker agrees that the big question about health care is "How do we pay for it as a country?"  He notes that many insurance companies are leaving the health insurance field and asks, "If the (health) insurance companies are making so much money, why are they all leaving the business?"  But he has worked for four years getting customers signed up for the Affordable Care Act and says the demand for that service has grown to the point locally that his firm handled 900 sign-ups for 2017.

Egan says state and federal program have provided "a safety net" for the clients of NEICAC's Family Planning Clinic.  But state and federal funding hasn't increased over the past 15 years, while the administrative time necessary to file claims has tripled, so the clinic will close in June.

Oltrogge agrees that the State of Iowa's switch to privately-run "managed care organizations" has resulted in administrative headaches.  She says it now takes three times as long as before to process a claim.

Deutsch also liked the previous system.  "Expanded Medicaid worked," he says, noting a 25 percent decrease in the Decorah Community Free Clinic patient load after Medicaid was expanded.  "We don't see those patients anymore," he told the audience at Monday night's forum on health care.

Video of Monday night's forum is available at: https://www.facebook.com/stevenr.nelson.90/posts/10208573190754265