Health care reform opponents target Kildee in protest

Opponents of health care reform being debated in the Congress held a rally and protest outside the offices of U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee this weekend in Bay City.

The Sunday event, organized by the Bay County Taxpayers Association — which is chaired by Republican blogger-activist Joe Sylvester — featured hand lettered placards emblazoned with such statements as “Too Much Regulation,” “Taxed Enough Already” and “I’ll Keep My Health Care, You Keep Your Change,” reports the Bay City Times.

The Times reports 100 opponents of reform and a “handful” of reform supporters attended the rally.

Kildee, a Democrat from Flint, supports the current reform efforts and said in a statement to Michigan Messenger about the protests and health care reform:

While we may respectfully disagree on some of the provisions in this bill, most of us can agree that the problems in our health care system can no longer be ignored. Families across the country are seeing their premiums skyrocket, more and more people are going without, and others cannot get coverage due to pre-existing conditions. This leads many people to wait until an emergency to seek medical treatment, turning what could have been a simple doctor’s visit into a costly trip to the E.R. When people cannot pay these bills, the American taxpayer is charged. Medical providers raise the prices of services to cover these uncompensated costs, thereby increasing costs for everyone and driving up health insurance premiums. In 2008, health care providers in our district provided $157 million worth of this uncompensated care. To address this issue, the House health care reform bill increases competition between insurers, thereby reducing costs. This will help the nearly 50 million uninsured Americans across the country – 71,000 of whom live in Michigan’s 5th district – access health care. It also prevents insurers from denying or dropping coverage due to pre-existing conditions. This will allow these people to be treated in the early stages of their condition at a doctor’s office, rather than going to the emergency room after their condition has progressed. This will save money for the patient, the taxpayer and the medical providers, ultimately bringing down health care costs for everyone.

U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, a Battle Creek Democrat, has also been targeted for rallies and protests. Earlier this month, his Jackson office was protested by about 100 opponents of health care reform, while 400-500 people rallied in support of reform. The Jackson protest was organized by the 7th Congressional District Republicans, while the support rally was organized by Organizing for America.

Organizing for America has also launched a new program to send members of Congress back to Washington, D.C., with an understanding that most of their constituents want health care reform, the group’s website says.