Candidates debate Medicaid, Medicare reform

Medicare and Medicaid -- the M&M's of politics -- have been a part of the debate in the 5th Congressional District race as candidates work with ideas on the best ways to sweeten these programs without souring the system.

Bob Shuster said he would like to get the costs associated with medical care down, yet he supports reasonable increases in order to preserve Medicare and Medicaid.

"We need to make sure that people not only have access to medical care," Shuster said, "but that they have a choice as to where to get that medical care."

Shuster is running for the Republican nomination for the 5th Congressional District against state Sen. John Peterson, R-Pleasantville, Daniel Gordeuk and Patrick Conway. The Democratic nominee for U.S. Rep. Bill Clinger's seat is state Rep. Ruth Rudy, D-Centre. Clinger, R-Warren, is retiring after serving for 18 years.

Shuster also said he feels it is unfair to make drastic changes to senior citizens already in the system.

"I'd like to preserve the basic concept of Medicare so when we get older, should we fall on hard times, we know we can have basic medical care," he said.

And protecting the people that have already paid into the system is a priority for all of the candidates.

Conway said it would be unfair to change the rules in the middle of the game for senior citizens who have expectations of certain fundamental services in their retirement years.

But at the same time, Conway said he would like to see changes made in both Medicaid and Medicare.

"There needs to be some draconian changes in the system so that there's some security for the rest of us," Conway said. "We can't afford to pay for the same entitlement programs at the levels that we now do."

Peterson also said his main priorities are to protect the people who have already bought into the system, and develop programs to make health care more affordable for everyone. He added that there is too much abuse in the system and the federal government needs to regulate its assistance programs more carefully.

Eliminating abuse and fraud is a sentiment that has been repeated not only throughout the district, but in the entire state.

Gregory Lessig, associate professor of political science at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, agreed that the system is in dire need of reform. He said the district's new representative will have to stop the fraud and abuse of the current Medicare and Medicaid systems if reform is going to work.

Lessig added that a system like the existing Health Maintenance Organizations are ineffective.

"They restrict the ability of the doctor to recommend other physicians," Lessig said. "It's like a gag situation."

One candidate has already mentioned developing a user-friendly free market system.

Gordeuk, an area doctor, said he wants to reduce costs by developing a free-market type system. Developing physician networks is also important to Gordeuk as well as putting consumers in touch with their bills and developing a voucher system.

But not all of the candidates think the current system is in dire straits.

Rudy said she has been hearing since her thirties that programs like Social Security would run out by the time she would be old enough to collect. And while she does not believe that the system is a huge problem right now, she said it certainly has the potential to become messy.

Rudy also said she does not support balancing the budget by making severe cuts to programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

"I certainly don't support balancing (the budget) on the backs of the elderly like our present Congress is proposing."