A key moment came when Randy Huggins, Leeton, described how a health insurer dealt with his grandson’s birth.
“He was born with four congenital heart defects,” Huggins said.
The insurance company paid for all birth-related activities, but labeled the newborn’s heart defects “a pre-existing condition” and refused to provide coverage, Huggins said.
Hartzler referred to Scripture, saying Jesus did not focus on how government could help people, but on how people could help people.
“I didn’t see that he was calling on Caesar to do that. I see some value, more value, in individuals caring for their neighbor, helping their fellow man, churches having that role as the body of Christ, taking that on. When you get the government taking care of people, I think you’ve eliminated a very important personal access with that person, that opportunity to care, to come alongside you and say, you know, ‘What could I do (for) your grandson. Let me bring you a meal, let me help you.’ … But not everybody has that. In a perfect world, I think that counts for something. That you and I should care for each other in terms of health.”
Reform advocate Robert Yates said, “But this isn’t a perfect world.”
With several people cross-talking, Hartzler’s voice emerged, saying, “We have to balance these things. We have to balance our personal responsibility – what is my role as a citizen, versus what is the role of the government – and that’s really what this discussion is about and why it’s so emotional for all of us, is because it touches something that’s very important to us, and we care about our family, and we want to see health care, and so we just may disagree on how to do that.”
Huggins asked whether Hartzler’s solution for his grandson’s heart defects meant someone from a church bringing the family a hot meal.
Hartzler said she did not mean that and she disagreed with the health insurance company denying the baby coverage.
“That’s something we need to fix,” she said.
Something we have to fix, but not with a government program and regulating health insurance companies.
I guess her plan is to meet a Good Samaritan on the road if you get sick and have no insurance.
Bob Yates said:
Penrose, did you seen the story in the Star-Journal about Hartzler’s “town hall.”
Here is the key section:
Something we have to fix, but not with a government program and regulating health insurance companies.
I guess her plan is to meet a Good Samaritan on the road if you get sick and have no insurance.
MOVoter said:
Is she for real? Can’t she just stay at home, she left poltics to be a mother. What happened to family values?
Give it up, Vickie…………