DuPage groups' health forum stays true to form

A Monday night health care forum organized by two DuPage County peace groups went, in a word, peacefully.

More than 200 people sat and listened to speakers outline the need for health care reform during the town hall-style meeting in Lombard hosted by the West Suburban Faith-based PEACE Coalition and DuPage Against War Now.

Unlike some other health care discussions, there were no hecklers, shouting matches or protest signs.

In fact, many in the crowd agreed when Laura Leon, faith director for the Campaign for Better Health Care, said now is the time for reform.

"Are you going to wait another 16 years, 30 years for health care reform?" Leon said. "No. Then let's inform ourselves ... and then act. Tell your legislators, 'We can't wait anymore.' There is a need all across this country."

Organizers invited U.S. Reps. Peter Roskam and Judy Biggert - two outspoken critics of President Barack Obama's health care reform proposal - to sit on Monday night's panel. But they both declined, citing previous commitments. Roskam said he would be willing to meet later with representatives from the PEACE Coalition and DAWN.

In the meantime, John Gaudette, state director for Citizen Action/Illinois, took aim at what he considers lowball estimates on the uninsured. Despite what some have claimed, he said an estimated 87 million people went without health insurance at some point in 2007 and 2008.

The problem with the existing system is that it doesn't work for the people who need insurance the most, Gaudette said. One way to fix it, he said, is to eliminate "runaway profits" for the insurance companies.

"The health insurance companies provide no direct service as it relates to health care," Gaudette said. "They are retailers of health care. We want wholesale health care. We want to get them out of the way. If we can't get them out of the way, we want to reduce their size to the amount where they are actually serving people."

At least one panel member said the best solution would be to establish a Medicare system for everyone.

"What these (proposals) would do is extend Medicare to every person in the country or the state," said Dr. Anne Scheetz, Chicago co-chairman of the Illinois Single Payer Coalition. "And it would be an improved version of Medicare."

And while some argue Medicare for everybody isn't politically feasible, Scheetz said she believes it's both feasible and inevitable.

"The only questions are how many people are going to go bankrupt before we get it," she said. "How many people are going to die for lack of adequate access to health care before we get it?"

The forum in Lombard occurred the same night as a town hall meeting in Skokie hosted by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky. About 2,000 showed up to debate health care reform, but only 1,300 could fit inside Niles West High School's auditorium.

Sen. Dick Durbin also held a small "listening session" Monday that included input from a doctor, a nurse, a hospital administrator, a small-business owner and Illinois residents who have struggled under the current health care system. A Durbin spokeswoman said the meeting was productive and illuminating.

Forum: Groups pushing for proposal's passing