Yuma in health care doubt reform's chances

Feb 26, 2010 — The Yuma Daily Sun

Stephanie A. Wilken

Feb. 26, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- After 7-1/2 hours of talking health care reform, President Barack Obama isn't optimistic on a partisan agreement.

And he isn't alone: Some Yumans in the health care sector doubt health care reform will come anytime soon.

According a report by The Associated Press, the health care summit Thursday in Washington ended with the president rejecting Republican preferences for seeking a step-by-step solution or simply starting over.

Yuma ear, nose and throat physician Sultan Lalani said though he strongly wants reform -- and feels his colleagues in Yuma do, too -- without cooperation from the Republicans, little can be done.

"This is all politics as usual, nothing new," he said. "Unless the Republican Party wants to take a chance and come to the table with a genuine desire to help the public, I don't think anything will happen."

Obama strongly suggested that Democrats will try to pass a sweeping overhaul without GOP support, by using controversial Senate budget rules that would disallow filibusters. And then, he said, this fall's elections would write the verdict on who was right.

"We cannot have another yearlong debate about this," Obama said at the end of a 7-1/2-hour marathon policy session.

Neither side gave much ground, sticking mostly to familiar arguments and talking points. The president urged Republicans to "do a little soul searching" but said majority Democrats would decide quickly how to move forward on a priority that has eluded leaders for half a century.

David Rogers, CEO of Yuma-area Sunset Community Center, said health care reform wouldn't change anything for community health centers, but it would enhance what they do.

Rogers was in Washington, D.C., Thursday for a national community health center policy meeting and met several congressmen throughout the day. Rogers said he hopes reform will come and bring funding for expansion and legislation that would remove caps for Medicare and Medicaid payments for community health centers.

"We definitely as community health centers support health care reform. Nothing's going to happen today, but hopefully, they're going to get out of it commitments from both sides to move forward with the legislation and hopefully move in the direction of health care reform."

Newstex ID: KRTB-0239-42399751