Reported By: Josh Molina
SALT LAKE CITY, (ABC 4 News) – A group of Utah doctors want the health care reform bill to pass in Congress.
ABC 4 News takes a closer look at both sides of the debate. We interviewed Doctor Scott Lechman, former president of the Utah Medical Association and Doctor Paul Harrison of the Utah Coalition to Protect Patients.
ABC 4 asked them what will happen with the quality of Utah health care.
Lechman said, “Have people seek health care in a timely manner, come in and see the doctor when they are concerned when something wrong. There are so many people that die every year because they don’t have health insurance.”
Harrison said, “I think if we pass this bill it will be disastrous. I think it will put government between me and my patients, a government agency will decide what procedures and what items you can receive from me.
ABC 4 asked them how will the health care reform bill affect Utah patients.
Lechman said, “More patients are going to be covered, another 30 million patients are going to be covered, and they will be able to get the care in a timely fashion that they will need.
Harrison said, “Well currently everybody likes the coverage they have, their happy with their health insurance and the coverage they have. They are unhappy that the prices gone up, unfortunately this bill does nothing to drop the prices.”
ABC 4 asked them how have politics affected health care.
Lechman said, “Theirs been a huge amount of misinformation and its gotten people coming at this from a very emotional point of view. They have very strong feelings about things they aren’t really informed about.”
Harrison said, “Well here’s what everyone has forgotten, is neither side has a corner on all the good ideas, so a better policy would have been a full year ago to take all the best ideas, put them all in a room and go after this issue.”
Count on ABC 4 to stay on this story and bring you the results of a congressional vote.
