Doctors, veterans, civilians, students and one very impassioned Catholic got a chance to see Patrick Kennedy go public for the first time since his argument with Bishop Thomas Tobin escalated last week. Kennedy spoke at Brown University on the politics of healthcare reform.

The discussion was opened by Dean of Medicine Edward Wing. Introducing the panel, consisting of Congressman Kennedy, Alpert Medical School student Erin Kelly and Chair of the Department of Community Health at Brown Vince Mor, Dean Wing set the main issues to be addressed as efficiency, accessibility, accountability and efficiency.

Over the course of the panel discussion, Kennedy pointed out the various shortcomings of the current healthcare system – including very high costs due to poor management, the corruption in the system, and the commercialization of healthcare. Money saved by better management over the next few years, he said, would be more than enough to fund the reform bill. Together with Chair Mor, he went on to explain how the universalization of medical insurance would actually help lower costs due to a higher buyer pool. He also said the government control over insurance would enable it to set caps on prices, which would force healthcare providers and insurers to become more cost-efficient.

In response to further questions, Kennedy spoke of the need for medical ID cards which could contain a patient’s entire treatment history, so that the most personalized treatment can then be offered. He also agreed with a local doctor who emphasized the importance of prevention over cure, as it was healthier and cheaper. The Congressman also managed to stress once again the importance of improving mental health care, a cause he has been actively furthering over the last few years.

The generally peaceful mood of the discussion was interrupted during the question-answer session by Mayoral Candidate Christopher Young. Young protested a clause that made not paying for insurance an offense that he claimed could be punishable with up to 5 years in prison and a $250 000 fine. He went on to complain that the bill violated the beliefs of “consumers” who he said were primarily Catholics, by supporting abortion. He was eventually led away from the room by the security.

For WBRU News, this is Urmila Nair.