NASW NH Chapter Executive Director attends Obama’s Health Care Town Hall

Aug 12, 2009

As a professional social worker, educator, Executive Director of the NASW New Hampshire Chapter, and long-time advocate for universal health care, I was privileged to attend the President’s town hall meeting in Portsmouth, NH on August 11. I wasn’t sure what to expect as the high school where the event was held was surrounded by supporters and opponents carrying signs and bullhorns. However, inside the crowd was diverse and the discourse civil. President Obama did an excellent job answering a range of questions and explaining his vision for healthcare reform. He elaborated on the need for a public option and gave a strong, solid defense of it in response to a critic. He further explained that the public option would need to be self-supporting and could not rely on government funds. He said competition from a public option is necessary to keep the insurance companies honest and was quite critical of both the insurance and drug companies. My sense is that the administration’s new focus on insurance reform is aimed at individuals who currently have coverage and do not see what stake they have in reform. I think it’s more a change of emphasis than substance.

President Obama assured older attendees that he did not intend to cut Medicare benefits.  He refuted the idea that his goal was a single-payer system, which he argued would be disruptive since so many peple have coverage through an employer-based system.  It is becoming increasingly obvious that it is going to be difficult to garner enough votes to secure a public option, and at this point a single-payer system seems an impossible goal.  Finally, he strongly supported the importance of mental health benefits and parity.

This experience was encouraging and I think most people walked away with a renewed sense that we can and will accomplish healthcare reform. Moreover, my sense, as well as my wife’s (who is also a social worker), was that the president’s supporters outnumbered his opponents.  Obama did an excellent job: he had the knowledge and understanding to answer every question and the skill to deflect distractions.

Stephen Gorin, PhD, MSW

Executive Director, NASW New Hampshire Chapter

Photos

Photo Credit: Stephen Gorin, PhD, MSW

For ongoing information on health care reform, please visit NASW’s health care reform page.

Surviving Survival Mode

A social worker reveals four hidden signs and offers remedies for people who are living and working in a state of chronic stress By Faye Beard Flight, fight, freeze and fawn are the body’s common psychological responses to stress, experts say. Survival mode, according...

Social Workers of TikTok

Social Workers of TikTok

The platform takes viewers on episodic adventures in the field of social work By Faye Beard On TikTok, social workers are giving the cyberworld a glimpse of a day in their fascinating lives. Posting witty memes, valuable resources, and digital therapy tips, the...

Categories