Senator Claire McCaskill spoke with doctors, patient advocates, and community health workers about the state’s health care problems during a round table discussion in Columbia Thursday.
After hosting 53 town halls in Missouri this year and listening to community concerns, Senator McCaskill says there’s no question health care is at the top of the list. “Today, I’ve learned more information about how much work we have to do in rural Missouri in regards to health care, access to health care, and the very difficult position many of these smaller hospitals find themselves in across the state,” said McCaskill.
Luke Stephens practices family medicine at the MU Health Center in Ashland. Stephens said some patients have to choose which medication is most important to them if they can’t afford both. “It’s a hard discussion we should never have in America.
It’s a shameful discussion, but to take care of the patient, you have to do it,” said Stephens. Other topics discussed with Senator McCaskill include prescription drug prices, rural health care, hospice care, protecting Medicare, and telecommunications.