More than 200 people filled the Erma Byrd Art Gallery at the University of Charleston and another spill-over room with closed-circuit television coverage.
While people waited for the forum to start, Sen. Jay Rockefeller met with a small group of families, all sharing their health insurance nightmares.
Amy and Rich Bord of Grafton are teachers with a son who was diagnosed with leukemia a few years ago. Once he met their million dollar lifetime cap on coverage, payment for 9-year-old Sam’s treatments was cut-off.
“What’s frustrating is knowing if we didn’t work, we wouldn’t have to worry about this,” Amy Bord said.
In fact, the Bords say they were advised to get a divorce, quit their jobs, or declare bankruptcy to get a medical assistance card for Sam.
“I think the biggest frustration was how people approached us and told us to be dishonest,” Rich Bord said. “I can’t imagine divorcing my wife so I could get Sam coverage.”
Following this meeting, Gaylene Miller, interim state director of the AARP, opened the forum with a warning.
“Failing to do something will be the biggest threat to you, your doctor and your health plan,” she said.
“In fact, the surest way to get rationed care is if we don’t pass reform and stay on our present course. And you can bet the farm, AARP isn’t going to stand for it,” Miller said.
While not mentioning the outside protesters specifically, Rockefeller began his remarks by immediately addressing the opposition to health care restructuring.
He said a public option does not amount to a government takeover of insurance.
“Of course it doesn’t. It represents exactly what it says; it’s an option,” he said.
“It’s like every other insurance option except one difference, it doesn’t have to make a profit at all,” he said.
Rockefeller says some of the suspicion is understandable.
“People get confused, people don’t like Washington, people don’t like politicians, people don’t get much news, so the whole sense of context for receiving information about what’s going on is jaundiced,” he said.
He then went straight to attacking the health insurance industry.
“Insurance companies are in the business of purging those who are high risk,” he said.
“I’m just not making that up. A whistleblower from Cigna came and testified, they purged and purged and purged. That means seniors suffer, and that means Sam suffers.”
He said insurance profits have gone up 400% and premiums 150% in recent years.
He compared insurance companies to “the sharks that glide under the water” and asked the audience, “Ever see ‘Jaws?’”
Following his prepared remarks, Rockefeller took questions. He compared the public option to a farmer’s market, with information available on the Internet and several plans available.
“My guess is a lot of people will stay with their private insurance. But it will force people to get more sophisticated about the insurance market and what they are getting charged,” he said.
“This doesn’t eliminate premiums, but it eliminates the obscene profits in what is a rapacious, in my judgment, profit-driven industry. And I’m sick of it,” he said.
One man asked if Rockefeller favored government running the health care system.
“The government does run part of it, and thank God,” Rockefeller said. “Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, they’re all government.”
“No, the government shouldn’t do it all, but they should be aggressive, they should pass a public option,” he said. “And that’s not the government running it all; that’s the government adding a little tweak.”
Rockefeller said any health care bill will include tax exemptions for small business providing health insurance.
He also said given the divisive debate, he continues to hope for a bill this year, but cannot promise one.