Kewaunee session draws about 100

KEWAUNEE - Another day, another discussion about reforming the health insurance system. Thursday morning, Representative Steve Kagen, (D) 8th District, held a listening session in Kewaunee. The crowd was vocal, but not as hostile as those who attended similar sessions, earlier this week.

Kagen has been holding health care listening sessions all week and those attending, have been doing plenty of talking.

H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act is what's causing all the discussion. Kagen says he's read the thousand-some pages of the bill.

"No one seems to know what's in the bill," said Claude Bryant, who lives in Green Bay and attended the Kewaunee session.

Bryant has a printed copy of the bill and is in the process of reading through it.

"(It's) taking time to understand, because some of it is 'subsection three of paragraph two...'" explained Bryant.

From what he's read, Bryant says he has concerns about the possibility of fines for those who don't have what the government deems acceptable health care coverage, and other provisions of the bill.

"We're going to be counseled on end of life - why?" questioned Bryant.

Concerns range from the government's role in health care to the doctors available under the new plan and how it would be paid for. Others say the health care system simply doesn't need to be changed.

"Spend a day with me, go spend a day with your doctor, in their office and listen to those stories. They will break your heart." said Kagen. "If we don't change our health care system and improve it, we'll become bankrupt."

Kagen and some at the Kewaunee session agree the country's health care system needs to change.

"You sit there and tell me we don't need a government program to help fill the gap where people can't afford insurance. I wish I could afford your insurance. I dang wish it, that's all I have to say," said Jim Gayhart, directing his comments at others who had spoken during the session.

While many weigh in on the health care debate, Claude Bryant also shares his opinion and says he plans to read the entire complex bill.

"This is my future, my health care for my wife, health care for myself. We're talking life and death now. We're not talking money anymore. You've got to get involved," said Bryant.

Kagen says he'll take ideas from his constituents back to Washington to put in the bill.

FOX 11 talked with a number of people at Thursday's listening session all of them said they were not part of an organized effort to show up at the meeting. All but one person FOX 11 spoke with was from the 8th Congressional District. That man who claimed to be a doctor was from Milwaukee.

Click here to read H.R. 3200 from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce.

If you prefer to read a summary of the bill from the government, you can find it by clicking here.