Warren Tribune-Chronicle - Health Issues Raised

Health Issues Raised

By RAYMOND L. SMITH Tribune Chronicle

Brown was at the Youngstown Community Health Center to tell a small audience of health professionals and supporters that he has been fighting for many years to make sure low-income residents can obtain prescreening examinations. Brown is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Mike DeWine.

"Today, we have more than 46 million people who do not have insurance,'' Brown said. "We have even more underinsured people. What is Congress doing? They are considering a bill that will make it worse.''

Brown was criticizing a bill sponsored by Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyoming, that is designed to provide insurance for small business.

"However, it will strip away all the consumer protections that exist in many state bills,'' Brown said. "In states around the country, residents know that if they have insurance, they will be covered with general emergency room care, dialysis and cancer screenings, and some mental health treatments.''

...Dr. Ron Dwinnells, chief executive officer of the Youngstown Community Health Center, also criticized the Enzi bill Saturday, saying that it appears to promote a reactive form of medical treatment, instead of proactive care.

"This is a health care facility that provides a lot of proactive care,'' he said. "We provide a lot of screenings and a lot of test to ensure our patients do not have a lot of illnesses.''

"If the federal government cut the funding for these proactive tests, we will go backwards and become reactive to illnesses,'' he said. "We believe that will cost our consumer and tax payers even more money, adding more burden.''

http://www.sherrodbrown.com/story/2006/4/2/92644/43339