Oregon Governor Theodore R. Kulongoski talks to residents at Mountain View Retirement Residence in Ashland after the Parade on the Fourth of July. Photos by Orville Hector | Daily Tidings

Kulongoski, Wyden visit retirement home after parade

Health care main issue politicians address

By Alan Panebaker
Ashland Daily Tidings

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Sen. Ron Wyden made a short stopover after strolling through Ashland in the Fourth of July parade to talk health care with about 50 people at Mountain View Retirement Residence in Ashland.

The two politicians addressed how to provide more effective, affordable healthcare two days before Senators Wyden and Gordon Smith are set to publicly propose legislation addressing catastrophic health care costs. The two senators will unveil their proposal in Medford at Providence Medford Medical Center at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Kulongoski explained his efforts on how to expand the state’s prescription drug program.

Kulongoski and Wyden addressed how they want to make healthcare more accessible and affordable to Oregon residents.

“How do we provide insurance for the class that does not have healthcare?” Kulongoski said.

The governor talked about a cigarette tax that could provide more access to healthcare for working class families that are not eligible for government subsidies. Although a cigarette tax hike proposal was withdrawn last month, Kulongoski is still pushing for one in his campaign this year. He said he also wants to create more access for children in Oregon.

“The access issue is the one were trying to address with the Healthy Kids Initiative, which is to see that every kid in Oregon from prenatal to 19 has access to affordable healthcare,” Kulongoski said.

With more than 100,000 children with no insurance in the state of Oregon, the governor said he would like to propose a medical plan just for kids that he could market to parents and employers.

“The other half of it is trying to develop a healthcare policy that actually looks at efficacy of healthcare,” Kulongoski said. “It’s been estimated about 30 percent of all procedures and remedies that are administered are ineffective.”

While most residents of Mountain View said they were happy with their current politicians, there were still some lingering questions. Yvonne Mearns, a retired second grade teacher, said she had still not seen any progress in assisting notch babies — people drawing Social Security born after 1917 and before 1922. Mearns was born in 1921 and is one of many Americans who started receiving less Social Security when Congress adjusted benefits according to cost of living in 1972. Notch babies generally receive 20 percent less in benefits than people born either before or after the five-year period. In 1977, Congress grandfathered in benefactors born between 1911 and 1916, leaving behind those in the gap to receive less money.

“They’ve done nothing about it except talk, so I think somebody needs to really get behind it,” Mearns said. “They’re supposed to consider it this year.”

Lisa Chambers, a California resident, asked the politicians why it is so difficult for her mother to receive her late husband’s retirement benefits. She said it costs about $9,000 to house her mother in the residence, and without her late father’s benefits, they are basically running out of money.

Sen. Wyden responded, “We’ll start working on that tomorrow.”

Staff writer Alan Panebaker can be reached at 482-3456 x 227 or apanebaker@dailytidings.com.

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