Congressman Childers Discusses Health Care Reform Bill

Congressman Travis Childers discusses health care reform with doctors and administrators at the Baptist Memorial Hospital North Mississippi in Oxford

With Congress getting ready to delve into health care reform legislation, Mississippi's Democratic Congressman Travis Childers is touring his district to discuss the upcoming reform. MPB’s Sandra Knispel reports from Oxford.

With nearly 1 million Mississippians uninsured and the Magnolia state leading the nation in diabetes, coronary diseases and obesity, First District Congressman Travis Childers yesterday asked health care providers at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford to name their priorities for health care reform.

“There will be a lot of compromise in whatever is passed," Childers said.

Dr. Jeff Evans, a pulmonologist and the hospital’s medical director, complained that billing stole valuable time from physicians that could be spent with patients instead.

“There is a fairly unbearable tediousness to documentation that is required in the medical record for appropriate reimbursement, but we have to use electronic means or something else to facilitate entering the documentation of the work that’s been done in a timely and efficient manner, Dr. Evans explained.

Jim Ainsworth, vice president of operations for the regional facilities of Baptist Memorial Healthcare, is concerned about the high number of uninsured patients.

“Roughly 25 percent of the patients that access our emergency room are patients with no insurance.”

Expanding insurance coverage could remedy that problem, but it would also worsen the general healthcare crisis. Again Congressman Childers:

“If healthcare was available to every American -- there’s not enough physicians available today to tend to them.”

Childers told his audience in Oxford he was confident a health care reform package would be passed this year.