Health Care Access in Chattanooga

President Bush's visit to Chattanooga fast approaches, where health care talks will take center stage.
The issue strikes a chord in our area with many residents concerned about the future of their health coverage.

Preparations for the president's arrival are underway, and those in the health care field ready themselves for the focus of his visit: making health insurance more accessible to those who do not have it.

Rae Bond, Project Access Care
"We're really pleased that he's coming, that he's going to focus attention on the whole problem of the uninsured in america, currently there are nearly 47 million people in America who don't have access to health insurance."

The Community Research Council reports that more than one-third of Hamilton County adults lacked insurance for job-related reasons.  75 percent of uninsured families made 39-thousand dollars a year or less in income. And one in five Hamilton County adults went without insurance during the prior year.

Rae Bond, Project Access Care
 "That's actually an increase from about 13 and a half percent about four years ago, so the number of uninsured is increasing in our county."

But even those with insurance voice concerns about the high cost of prescription drug coverage, like Michael Goodman, whose aging mother faces increasing medical bills.

Michael Goodman, Has Elderly Mother
 "Her medicine has went up, because she has to have heart medicine and pain medication and all those and now they cost more and she's on a fixed income."

And sometimes, folks say the costs don't always add up to the benefits.

Christian Driver, Family Man
 "Having to pay for healthcare, some of the healthcare costs myself, and seeing how it continues to increase while benefits don't necessarily increase the same rate, it would be good to address that without it becoming a complete government issue."

But it will be a government issue when the president arrives.

The President will tour Erlanger and plans to discuss health care access in a round-table session later at the convention center.