BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
A town hall meeting in Baton Rouge Monday night, sponsored by Congressman Bill Cassidy, focused on President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.
There were questions about the upcoming presidential election, the death tax and even the way some of Louisiana's elected officials are voting in Washington, DC. But, the main discussion centered on health care and how that will affect people in Louisiana.
It was standing room only inside the auditorium of Our Lady of the Lake. At center stage, Congressman Cassidy led a discussion on concerns about the Supreme Court ruling on President Barack Obama's health care plan.
Cassidy said healthcare reform has three goals, which Democrats and Republicans can agree on.
"Provide affordable access to quality care. Hold down cost, want to give as many people access as possible to quality care," said Cassidy.
He said the issue is how to get to that point. Cassidy said the president has only emphasized the access and not the cost issue.
One man in the audience questioned, "If the health care is so good, why isn't the president and the Senate on it."
But according to language in the act: Members of Congress and their staffs can only purchase health insurance coverage from the health insurance exchanges that are made available for uninsured Americans.
One woman, who works for a local provider questioned what Cassidy would do to make health care available to the poor and wealthy. His answer, he says it's about getting back to the basics. For example, he says Medicaid should go back to being for those who are truly poor.
"It is the illusion of coverage without power of it," he said. The problem currently is that providers aren't being paid. He says in California a dentist is only paid $12 by Medicaid for a regular exam. He says doctors cannot pay their bills and employees when that's the amount they are receiving. "Someone can't afford to see you."
Cassidy says if the president is re-elected the Affordable Care Act will be the law. He added, that depends on what happens in November.
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