Senator Bob Casey Holds Roundtable at Evangelical Community Hospital

Senator Bob Casey visited the area on July 22, 2019 with a stop at Evangelical Community Hospital. The purpose of the visit was to have a roundtable conversation with physicians and patients on pre-existing conditions. The participants shared how these conditions impact the care of the patient with regard to insurance and the Hospital with regard to reimbursement and patients coming to the Hospital later and needing more extensive care.

Moderating the discussion was a representative of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network. Joining from Evangelical were James Stopper, Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer; John F. Devine, DO, FACP, CPE, Vice President of Medical Affairs; John Pfeifer, MD, Interventional Cardiologist with the Heart and Vascular Center, and John Turner, MD, FACS, Medical Director of Cancer Services. 

Issues Evangelical experts brought to the table included concerns over unaffordable prescription medicine costs for the patient, reimbursement rates, earlier treatment of pre-existing conditions and the ability to prevent avoidable fatalities, and bringing providers into political discussions for viable solutions. 

A local woman was on hand to discuss her personal experience of having a husband with a pre-existing condition and the financial burden they have experienced in finding insurance and managing a high-deductible plan.

The stop was one of many on the Senator’s agenda for the day as he works his way across the state to gather information and gain knowledge of issues impacting the constituents he serves.

PHOTO: John Pfeifer, MD, Interventional Cardiologist with the Heart and Vascular Center of Evangelical, talks with Senator Bob Casey about the affordability of prescription medications for some of his patients who have pre-existing heart conditions. Dr. Pfeifer joined fellow physicians, John Devine, DO, Vice President of Medical Affairs, and John Turner, MD, Medical Director of Cancer Services, in a roundtable discussion with the Senator during a recent visit at Evangelical Community Hospital.