Roanoke Tea Party

The following was published in The Franklin News-Post on November 18, 2009. It was written by Dr. Al Hagy, a well-respected, retired physician in Rocky Mount who is a prime example of someone who Congressman Perriello should have sought out to learn about the impact of proposed health care legislation.

Here are the first few paragraphs of his letter, written as an open letter to Congressman Tom Perriello:

I am confident your shoulder is quite sore from the “arm twisting” endured from Speaker Pelosi, Steny Hoyer from Maryland and the Speaker’s “Assistant,” Congressman Van Hollen. The pressure of being a “freshman” and the promises and lures for further advancement in the Congress given by these folks, was significant. Perhaps, they reminded you of what would happen, as well as what would not happen should you decide to not “play ball.”

Surely your conscience was in turmoil, as you voted to put rural hospitals out of business, decrease reimbursement to physicians providing health care to seniors to a level below that of being able to “do business.” In addition, the CHIP, Children’s Health Insurance Program, is put on the block for annihilation. And then there is the issues of Title VII, Section 747 funding, funding that is intended to strengthen the primary care work force. Once again these funds have been reduced.

In addition, you have voted to reduce physician reimbursement by 21 percent, with the following effects: Primary care doctors cannot see Medicare patients, with this reduction and stay in business.

Secondly, there is a shortage of primary care providers already, while you are significantly reducing funds for the training programs for these disciplines, the emergency rooms are straining under the burden of the current lack of these providers and facilities for them, while spending huge amounts of government money seeing patients from Medicare and Medicaid populations.

Finally, medical students who might be drawn to serve in rural and under served location will likely choose another specialty; a sad and preventable situation that could be prevented with the application of some common sense, a rare commodity inside the Beltway.

With the reform bill passed, the one you voted for, you have put most of the small rural hospitals on a thread.

Read the entire letter on the paper’s web site, and pass it along to your friends and neighbors.