Foster puts focus on health care
AURORA -- Next up: health care.
With about two weeks until the March 8 special general election in the 14th Congressional District, Democrat Bill Foster moved his campaign focus away from Iraq and onto solving problems with creating a more equitable health insurance system.
Joined by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin on Thursday, Foster didn't miss the opportunity for another dig at Republican opponent Jim Oberweis.
Durbin and Foster met with doctors at Dreyer Medical Center in Aurora, where a roundtable discussion focused on how medical professionals feel excluded from the process of health care reform.
"I think all of us are frustrated by access," Foster told the gathering.
Citing rising health care costs and millions of people without insurance, Foster promoted a plan that invests in preventative measures, lower drug prices and a "pooling" of health insurance available to small businesses.
Durbin, the state's senior senator and Senate majority whip, summed up the health care system as one that "costs too much and takes care of too little."
Dreyer officials described more time being invested in dealing with insurance issues and patients becoming more selective about when they see a doctor because of cost concerns. Dr. Jose Magana suggested drug and insurance companies will have the biggest influence over reform.
"I don't think the change is going to come from the medical professionals," he said. "We are on the sidelines."
Foster and Durbin also took their shots at Oberweis' health care stance. Foster cited Oberweis' campaign Web site that describes a move away from third-party or employer-based insurance, something Foster characterized as a plan to eliminate such coverage.
Doing so would force "millions of Americans to buy their own insurance and fend for themselves against the big insurance companies," Foster said.
Oberweis spokesman Bill Pascoe said Thursday that Oberweis' approach is geared toward giving consumers more options with a goal of improved affordability.
"Your health insurance should be portable," Pascoe said, comparing it to home or auto insurance.
Oberweis also supports the idea of tax credits, perhaps in the form of rebates, to those who manage their own insurance decisions instead of company plans.
Pascoe said some people don't equate trips to the doctor with an actual cost, and thus premiums go up for everyone.
"We have no incentive to keep costs down," Pascoe added.
