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Doctors watch health care bill

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By Kelly Mori, Staff Writer 11:42 PM Friday, March 19, 2010

SPRINGFIELD — Family practitioners have a front-row seat when it comes to seeing how patients are impacted by lack of health care coverage, said Dr. Sally Abbott, president of the Clark County Medical Society.

“Due to lack of health insurance, patients are deprived of the health care they need,” she said. “This bill is giving coverage to those people.

“I hope it passes.”

Abbott, who has been a family practitioner since 1967, said she sees patients who can’t afford to purchase needed medications, put off doctor visits or necessary tests, such as colonoscopies.

“Sometimes by the time they do come in to see us, it’s too late to help them,” she said.

Abbott is a member of both the Ohio and American Association of Family Practitioners. Both support the bill, she said. The Clark County Medical Society, however, has not taken an official position.

Community Mercy Health Partners officials are also withholding their opinion on the bill for now, said CEO Mark Wiener.

“As details of the bill are still being worked out, (we) continue to evaluate specific provisions in the bill before committing to support or oppose it,” he said. “(Community Mercy) is in full support of the right kind of health care reform ... that will eventually expand coverage so that all Americans have access to high quality health care.”

Community Mercy provided more than $7 million in financial assistance last year to individuals who could not afford to pay or who qualified for financial assistance, said Jim Senese, hospital spokesman. The hospital also absorbed more than $12.6 million in under-reimbursed Medicaid payments.

“We also believe that our nation’s health care system must become more patient-centered and be health-and-prevention oriented,” Wiener said.

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