by Melissa Theisen - Northwoods Media

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Congressman Steve Kagen M.D. visited Forest County on Thursday for a “Congress On Your Corner” community input meeting on the issue of health care. After visiting Mole Lake earlier in the day, Kagen visited with health care professionals and community members at the Forest County Potawatomi Health and Wellness Center in Crandon.

While there, he stated that some of the biggest expenses in health care universally are prescription drugs and health insurance.

“Health care will be the number one issue in the presidential election,” Kagen said. “Health care blurs the lines between parties. It affects everyone.”

As a doctor, health care is an issue Congressman Kagen knows a great deal about and feels strongly about.

In fact, Kagen declined health benefits for himself until, as he says, everyone he represents has the same health care options.

While in Forest County, Kagen listened to the concerns of several health care professionals in the areas of physical therapy, radiology and many other health fields. The issues discussed ranged from pregnant unmarried mothers who can't afford medical costs to deliver their babies to the education of health care professionals to Medicare, among other subjects.

One of the main concerns raised was that many people in the United States, Wisconsin and Forest County simply cannot afford to get sick. Many of Congressman Kagen's own patients, he said, cannot afford the medication they need. Many patients are forced to choose between their medication or their next meal.

Kagen encouraged those in attendance to sign what he believes to be a solution to some of the problems in the health care system, the “Declaration of Health.” The “Declaration of Health,” which can be found on his Web site, http://www.kagen4congress.com, states that the government must establish the “essential elements to guarantee access to affordable care for every citizen” including:

- Openly disclosing all prices so the real price of all health care services and products is always visible and openly disclosed;

- Unitary pricing where everyone pays the same price for the same product or service;

- Forming a Single Risk Pool (of 300 million) with no discrimination against any citizen due to any pre-existing medical condition; and

- Renewing commitment to care for those in need so everyone has an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

“When we lower your health care costs, we are cutting taxes,” Kagen stated.

Kagen claimed that if insurance companies were forced to compete with each other by selling the same product, their prices would drop significantly.

“We should no longer tolerate insurance companies discriminating against patients,” he said.

While the congressman refused to comment on who he believed was the best Democratic candidate for president, he said that he would work with any of the Democratic candidates.

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