Health debate hits home on North Shore

PEABODY – Approximately 100 sign-toting demonstrators gathered on the district courthouse steps Thursday to rail against proposed changes in the nation’s healthcare system, denouncing President Barack Obama for his policies and carrying their fight to U.S. Rep. John F. Tierney’s office just across Peabody Square.Nearer to Tierney’s office, hundreds of healthcare reform advocates lined the street, waving signs, ringing cowbells and chanting through bullhorns in favor of change and support for the congressman.The anti-healthcare reform crowd was led by Bill Hudak of Boxford, a Republican who has challenged Tierney in the November election. Hudak, arms crossed and confrontational, demanded to meet with the Democrat congressman, only to learn from staff members in the office lobby that Tierney is on long-planned vacation with his wife, Patrice, and their grandchildren.Tierney aide Gary Barrett told Hudak and his associates that the congressman has made every effort to get out the message about healthcare options to North Shore residents ? through town meetings in several communities, mailings, private and group meetings with stakeholders like hospitals and small business owners, a Web site clearinghouse that can be accessed online, and a planned telephone town hall event.”The congressman has invited discourse and tried to use every tool at his disposal to make that happen,” said Barrett. “He is proactive.”Although Hudak accused Tierney of ducking the issue and being unavailable to voters, Tierney reached out to The Item last week and, in a lengthy interview, explained his stance on healthcare reform and why be believes it is in the best interests for all Americans.”If you lose your job, you should not lose your insurance,” Tierney said. “Fourteen thousand people a day are losing their jobs and their health insurance. You should not be burdened by that fear. And you should not be excluded from coverage because of a pre-existing condition or have your policy rescinded.”According to Tierney, the cost of healthcare is needlessly driven upward by insurance companies that charge up to 40 percent in administrative fees and pay their executives astronomical salaries, in some cases $80,000 per day.”The gig is up for these companies,” he said. “They don’t like what they’re hearing and they’re doing everything they can to maintain the status quo, including employing some very strong and effective lobbyists. Right now people are seeing a $50-million scare campaign paid for by these companies that is not factual and purposely distorts. It’s all part of the noise machine, but the tide is turning.”Critics of healthcare reform contend that government-run programs are costly and ineffective, but Tierney disagrees.”Medicare costs taxpayers 3 cents on a dollar. You can still make a profit without gouging,” he said, noting that under the general healthcare reform package, 85 percent of costs must go toward direct patient care, while administrative costs would be capped at 15 percent.Medicare will be preserved, he said, adding that the satisfaction rate among Medicare users is higher than that among the privately insured. “The Veterans’ Administration is government health care and most veterans speak well of it. In fact, the only people rationing healthcare these days are the private insurance companies,” he said.Under the reforms, a healthcare surcharge would be imposed, based on household income. Households with an adjusted gross annual income in excess of $350,000, married and filing a joint tax return, or those single taxpayers earning $280,000, would contribute a small percentage of their income toward the national healthcare fund.”The healthcare surcharge of 1 percent applies only to those with a joint earned income in excess of $350,000 but less than $500,000,” said Tierney. “For a family making $350,000 or less, no surcharge would apply.”A family earning $501,000 would pay a 1.5-percent surcharge.”These families in the highest income brackets,