It is a sad day when three commissioners decide to deny health care – in the form of Title X funds – for Ravalli County low-income residents. The claim that young people should not have access to care because of the parent/child bond is hypocritical because at the same time the commissioners are actively interfering between patients and their medical service providers. In fact, they are not only interfering, they are also denying services to this vulnerable population. This action could easily lead to severe illness or even death of one of our citizens.
The idea that the commission would now decide which services are appropriate for our community is ludicrous. It is not up to the commissioners to pick and choose health care services for our citizens. I do not see that the commissioners have the knowledge of medicine nor the wisdom to make these decisions. We as taxpayers have already paid for these services that have been accessed by our citizens for over 40 years. The Public Health Department is not a political entity. It is a medical service. The professionals employed there take medical care of 400 patients in the family planning program that provides birth control, mammograms, cervical exams, and STD testing for men and women. These services are in addition to well child clinics, vaccinations for young and old and TB exams.
The commission must act to reverse this decision, for if they do not, there will surely be many among us who will suffer disease as a result. I am really angry that Suzy Foss, Jeff Burrows and Ron Stoltz would deny health care for our friends and neighbors. This decision affects all of us, for we are the ones who will bear the extra cost for taking care of sick people who could not access preventative care. And thank you to Greg Chilcott and J.R. Iman for their positive votes on health care.
Please contact the commissioners. Phone numbers are:
Suzy Foss – 375-6510
Jeff Burrows – 375-6503
Ron Stoltz – 375-6509
JR Iman – 375-6501
Greg Chilcott – 375-6502
Pam Erickson
Hamilton