David Price handles health care debate

The national heath care debate came to UNC on Wednesday as supporters and opposers of President Barack Obama’s came to aggressively promote their sides.

U.S. Rep. David Price, D-N.C., spoke at the forum hosted by the UNC Young Democrats regarding realities and rumors of the proposed changes in health care legislation.

Price seemed intent on making sure the audience left with an accurate understanding of the reforms, despite interruptions that sometimes escalated to heckling.

About 140 students and townspeople filled a Wilson Library room to hear Price spell out the legislation they said they were going to pay for.

 The audience had an insatiable appetite for discussing the issue and it gave input with emphatic applause and detailed questions.

“Why is it my responsibility to pay for 10 to 12 million uninsured undocumented workers?” one audience member asked.

“Why are there no cross-state policy options under the current system?” asked Jason Sutton, a junior political science major and a member of UNC College Republicans.

“Why is there no public option for Congress? Are they too good for their own reform?” another audience member asked.

Wednesday’s intimate atmosphere mimicked the “town hall” meetings politicians have been conducting with constituents since summer.

“It gives students the chance to engage Congressman Price directly and for him to see how important the reform issue is to our generation,” said Justin Rosenthal, Young Democrats co-president.

Price called access to basic health care a fundamental human right, lumping it in with staples like food and shelter. He said that he understands the anger that the reforms prompt and that despite concerns, the private sector will remain protected.

“We don’t want to replace the market, but rather correct it, as one often has to,” he said.

The main steps to doing this are universal coverage and eliminating insurance discrimination, he said.

Audience concerns also included supervision of Medicare, repeated visits to hospitals, potential increases to the national debt and effects on future doctors.

Chapel Hill residents Jerry and Lynn Gschwind, 63, were there to oppose the public option. They called it a “bureaucratic nightmare.”

 Lynn, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Britain, said the government- directed health care system there does not work.

“Everybody wants everybody to have coverage,” she said. “We just believe in free enterprise.”

 Price said the dialogue succeeded in narrowing disagreement.

“There were questions raised I want to investigate further myself, and I’d encourage everyone to continue engaging in civil debate,” he said.


Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.