Stabenow Visits to Talk Health Care

As health care reform work continues at a national level, people in the health care industry locally get together to look at its future in the U.P.

Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow came by the health care conference in Marquette to talk with local people about what changes would come.

The 2nd annual conference’s theme was “Invest in the U.P.”.

Work sessions focused on addressing the workforce issues in the health care industry, like retaining doctors, something Michigan has had a hard time doing for about 20 years now.

Plans to help include college loan help, higher pay for family care practitioners and support in finding a job.

Senator Stabenow says the Senate Finance Committee says the reforms the group is working on change things like allowing younger workers to remain on their parents’ insurance until they turn 28, and more.

She also says the group’s working on ways to end the practice of rescission — cancelling someone’s coverage while they’re still current on paying premiums.

Congressman Bart Stupak held congressional hearings about this over the summer.

Stabenow says health care reform will be the Senate’s #1 priority for December.

And she hopes to see a bill of some kind pass out of the Senate by the end of the year.