—Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Teresa Wood Tom Brantseg speaks to a cardboard cutout of Iowa Congressman Steve King at the MoveOn.org Resistance Summer event designed to open up a dialogue about health care on Saturday at the Webster City Middle School. The event invited voters to talk about their health care insurance experiences. According to organizers, Rep. King was invited but declined the invitation due to prior commitment.

When US Congressman Steve King declined an invitation to attend a MoveOn.org Resistance Summer town hall sponsored in Webster City on Saturday, organizers did the next best thing. With a life-size cardboard cutout of King displayed, participants were asked to address the faux congressman and voice their opinions on the Affordable Care Act, or as it is more commonly known, ObamaCare. Organizers Amanda Malaski and Annette Gehling explained a video of the event would be posted on Facebook and sent to Congressman King as well.

Malaski started the discussion by questioning why Iowa is not providing affordable health care to its citizens.

Multiple attendees spoke of the difficulties in dealing with getting treatment approved by their insurance company.

Tom Brantseg spoke of his father’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and the insurance company limiting treatment options.

“You talk about Death Panels,” said Brantseg. Becky Kepler agreed that insurance companies do perform as de facto Death Panels. When her husband David was diagnosed with lung cancer in June 2012, he was told he was only eligible for three CT scans. The only other options to gauge the progression of the disease were less effective forms of technology. He passed away in 2014. “It’s wrong no matter whose side you are on,” said Kepler, chair of the Hamilton County Republicans.

“Insurance companies have too much power over testing,” said Malaski.

Greg Gilsdorf addressed the assembly, voicing his displeasure at the gimmick of the cardboard cutout of Rep. King.

Gilsdorf reported that before the ObamaCare tax went into effect, he and his wife paid $5,700 annually for insurance. In 2016, the premium had jumped to $20,000 and next year it is projected to be $30,000.

One audience member objected to him referring to the ACA as a tax. Gilsdorf pointed out that the Supreme Court ruled that it was a tax in order for it to remain law. “The insurance companies worked with the Democrats to make this happen,” said Gilsdorf. “It was designed to crash our health care system”.

An audience member agreed that for many people in certain economic levels, the premium costs are devastating, but it has helped people who didn’t have insurance before. Dr. John J. Paschen, a pediatrician from Ames, told the assembly that his practice now sees people who were previously denied treatment whereas when he first began his practice, there was a high rate of people without insurance.

One of the tenets of ObamaCare allowed all patients to be treated, he explained. He noted that one of the first stands Donald Trump took as president was to deny insurance was a moneymaking proposition. Dr. Paschen said he feels that the country needs to accept ObamaCare as the first step in reorganizing and restructuring the health care insurance industry.

There was agreement that the high cost of care and insurance was a problem.

A women related a story of a single mother, struggling with two children who twice suffered from illnesses that put her in debt. She was a perfect example of someone working to better herself, yet she could not afford insurance, she said. “We need to speak up for those people,” she said, asking that Rep. King have compassion and accept that health care is a human right.

One speaker said that she was in the Medicare doughnut hole and was diagnosed with diabetes. She was given two free samples and ordered the next dosage for 90 days at a cost of $116. When she went to renew the prescription, the cost had jumped to $641 for three months. She wondered how she would be able to afford her medications in the future. She believes that people should be able to bargain for both their health care insurance and the cost of medicine.

Another speaker listed several life-threatening ailments which have forced him to leave his job. The cost of treatment has depleted his savings, leaving him with barely enough to survive. He recently learned that a procedure he needs to prolong his life cannot be conducted because he is not able to pay for it. “We need to fix the problem,” he said.

Another woman related that her husband was put on a narcotic rather than a more expensive pain relief medication that does not carry side effects. “It is not right that the US has the highest drug costs in the world,” she said.

Access to care in rural areas was also a concern. Deb Leksell told the crowd that she was very proud of Van Diest Medical Center, the services it provides and its quality of physicians and staff. “We have outstanding medical care,” she said. But she voiced concerns about rural Iowa keeping access to quality care and local hospitals staying in business. She also had concerns about professionals providing mental health care services and not getting adequately reimbursed.

“We need to fix the system and be a part of the solution,” she said. “Not make it worse”.

Another man voiced concern that children were being removed from parental custody because their parents could not afford health insurance. “Fix ObamaCare and get Trump to enforce the policies of ObamaCare,” he said.

Comparisons were also made with the healthcare systems in other countries. Another woman related that her son-in-law, a native of Great Britain, was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia and the National Health Care Service covered his treatment for a total cost of $7. “I think everybody should pay a little more for catastrophic care,” she suggested. The offset would be to pay more for basic necessities such as fuel, food and lodging.

There was agreement that healthcare needed to be fixed, regardless, and that Obamacare wasn’t a perfect solution.

Another speaker urged bipartisanship. She noted that when the ACA was being developed, the Republicans were invited to the table but they didn’t offer any ideas. “Maybe that’s why ObamaCare isn’t working,” she said, encouraging the two parties to work across the aisle for the betterment of the country

“The health care system was broken before ACA,” said Iowa Sen. Rob Hogg, Senate Democratic Leader from Cedar Rapids. Sen. Rob Hogg told the assembly that the elimination of the ACA would mean 22 million newly insured Americans would lose their health care coverage.

He noted that the recent Republican health care bill as proposed would leave 40 million Americans without health insurance, a move which would benefit only the wealthy and the insurance companies. He applauded Sen. Susan Collins (ME), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Sen. John McCain for their courage in voting against the GOP plan and encouraged grassroots advocacy.

He listed a number of promises made by candidate Donald Trump concerning health care, which included providing Medicaid for all Americans and supporting a single payer health care plan. “When we lay forth a vision for health care for everybody, we will hold Trump accountable,” said Sen. Hogg. Sen. Hogg concluded that Medicaid should be available to everyone.

Malaski and Gehling encouraged the public to contact their legislators concerning their views on the future of health care.

“ObamaCare is not perfect, but it is the first step,” said Dr. Paschen following the meeting. While a supporter of the ACA, he applauded the discussion. “It is good to have the views of the other side”.