Sebelius touts health care reform

Every time his kids were hit with an ear infection or illness, Christian Burk hoped and prayed it would go away.

Not only did he want them to get better, the Omahan knew a trip to the doctor would get expensive because the family didn't have health insurance.

"You're always thinking, 'Is this the sickness that will put us under?'" he said.

Burk shared his experience Friday with the nation's top health official. Kathleen Sebelius, the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary visited Omaha for a roundtable discussion with local residents and to tour Alegent Health's Lakeside Hospital.

HHS said Omaha was picked for the visit because Alegent Health is a good example of effective use of electronic medical records and other health-care innovations.

The 10 who joined Sebelius for the discussion included two medical students, a secretary, a stay-at-home mom and a retiree.

No one from the insurance industry was on the roundtable. An HHS spokesman said participants were selected from a government web site for people interested in health care reform.

The visit comes as Congress ramps up for debates on health-care reform and President Barack Obama pushes for lawmakers to take action. U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska, could be a key swing vote on the issue.

The roundtable group raised concerns about lack of health insurance and preventative care, shortages of primary care doctors and other health care problems.

Burk had worked for several non-profit groups and couldn't afford the health insurance they offered.

A trip to the doctor, including prescriptions, could cost more than $100, he said.

He and his family now have health insurance through his job as a web site manager.

Sebelius told the group that Obama and Congress are trying to find solutions. She said the current health-care system has erratic quality and cost.

"We can't continue in the same direction," said Sebelius, former governor of Kansas.

Proposals have included a government-sponsored insurance program. Others include requiring people to purchase insurance if they can afford it and taxing employer-provided health benefits to help pay for coverage for the uninsured.

Sebelius said a government-sponsored plan could exist "side-by-side" with private insurance companies and give consumers more choices. Obama is pushing hard for such a plan.

The proposal has drawn criticism from Republicans.

"Republicans want patients to have the freedom to choose, and Democrats want a government bureaucrat to be the middleman between patients and their doctors," Mark Fahleson, Nebraska Republican Party Chairman, said Friday in a written statement in response to the secretary's visit.

During and after the roundtable discussion, participants raised concerns about high insurance costs.

Susan Biby said her husband and two kids are covered through his work policy, but it would cost another $316 a month to cover her.

She opted out and found a separate policy for $100 a month. It provides coverage after a $2,500 annual deduction. The deduction for her husband and children is $4,000 a year, so nearly all their medical expenses are paid out of pocket.

"We still have to think twice about seeing a doctor," she said.

She feels like the family pays a lot of money to the insurance companies without getting any benefit.

"It's like paying protection money to the mob," she said. "We really think it's time for a change."

Sebelius said she realizes health care costs are too high.

She said Nebraska, like other "small marketplaces," lacks leverage to win price reductions from health care providers.

She also said that many people work for employers that don't offer coverage.

Jeff Spiehs said his two children have coverage through a state program, but he and his wife are uninsured. He works for a non-profit organization that can't afford to provide coverage.

He and his wife do everything they can to stay healthy including eating tomatoes and other vegetables they grow at home and riding bikes. He still worries about getting hit with big medical bills.

After the discussion, Sebelius toured the emergency department and intensive-care unit at Alegent Health's Lakeside Hospital.

During the private tour, she and Alegent CEO Wayne Sensor talked about patient monitoring in the ICU and Alegent's system of "evidence-based" care, an Alegent spokeswoman said. The system involves following specific treatment steps medically proven to be the most effective.