Seventh Graders Share Health Care Plans with Himes

The seventh graders have spoken. They want out with McDonalds and in with a hefty tax on candy and soda; they want to increase the eligibility age of Medicaid and decrease the overall cost of a visit to the doctor. The students are brimming with ideas on health care reform; and Congressman Jim Himes is listening.

Friday morning, Oct. 2, Himes visited the Middlesex Middle School auditorium to talk about health-care: where it stands, where it’s going and how the legislature plans to mend our broken system. The seventh graders are already well versed on the issue. They’re studying the Canadian health-care system as part of the Social Studies curriculum. At the end of the unit, each student will send a letter to Himes with their own health care reform plan; and to judge by Monday’s assembly, Himes will have lots of novel ideas and thought provoking questions to share with the legislature in Washington D.C.

Like his recent health-care listening tour town hall discussions, Himes began his presentation to the middle schoolers with a brief presentation on U.S. health care as it stands today and how it compares to other countries.

“America has the most expensive health care in the world,” said Himes. “Do you know how much the United States spends on health care a year?”

Hands shot up.

“Like two, three million,” answered one student.

“Well, Darien spends about two or three million a year,” answered Himes, “but you’re only off by two letters. It’s more like two to three trillion dollars.”

Mouths dropped. Gasps.

Himes keyed the students in to the ongoing discussion in Washington D.C., including the debate over public option, which would allow a government or quasi-government agency to offer health insurance in competition with private insurers. It’s what Himes described as “Orbitz.com for health insurance.” The public option is designed to do two things: extend health care to millions of uninsured Americans, and substantially reduce the costs in the system. Critics, however, say that allowing the government to increase its involvement in health care would be unfair competition for private companies and would result in government officials deciding who would get what care.

“This is a very complicated bill on the most complicated policy issue I have ever tried to get my head around,” said Himes, before reaching out to the seventh graders for their thoughts during the question and answer portion of the assembly.

Students asked a number of thoughtful questions:

“Why don’t you put a big tax on candy and soda?”

“Why not get rid of McDonalds?”

“Why don’t you increase the age of Medicaid just a little bit?”

“Why don’t we have a system like Canada where everyone gets covered?”

Himes said each was a “good question”—albeit hard to answer. The congressman discussed the complexities of progressive and regressive health care and the importance of addressing the needs of the poorest in society; and of course, the overwhelming challenge of funding such a hugely expensive project.

"We've made a lot of promises to you guys that we won't be able to keep, because we at this rate, we just won't have the money," said Himes.

After about an hour it was back to class for the students, and back to the Capitol for Congressman Himes.

“The good news is you’re all struggling and engaged in the issue,” said Himes. “And I’ll take all your thoughts and questions back to Washington D.C.”