U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, encountered a passionate group of protesters during an appearance at the Montezuma County Commissioners’ meeting on Monday.
About 40 people lined up on the street in front of the Montezuma County Courthouse to protest Tipton’s vote in favor of the American Health Care Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week.
People held signs – some shaped like tombstones – with messages criticizing the bill. Some followed Tipton inside to the meeting, where he spoke and listened to public comments for just over an hour about public lands, federal regulations and health care. After he spoke, a group of protesters chanted “shame on you” as the congressman drove away in his car.
In the meeting, Tipton defended the health care bill before a standing room-only crowd. He said coverage would not be denied for people with pre-existing conditions and the bill would still provide essential health care benefits for those in need.
The previous bill, the Affordable Care Act, had not been affordable for a long time, Tipton said.
“I think the common ground that we can all deal with is we’d like to be able to see affordability, and we’d like to see accessibility,” he said.
A handful of people in attendance offered comments addressed to Tipton and commissioners Larry Don Suckla, Keenan Ertel and James Lambert. The crowd cheered when one man suggested Tipton hold a town hall meeting, and again when one woman suggested a single-payer health care system.
Cortez resident Doug LaMunyon shared a personal story about being diagnosed with cancer at age 17. He remembered crying on his father’s shoulder.
When the Affordable Care Act passed, LaMunyon said he cried again, because he was so happy that pre-existing conditions would be covered.
LaMunyon said he felt like crying when he heard Tipton voted in favor of the AHCA. He said the congressman voted against the best interests of his constituents.
“You voted against people,” he said. “I would ask our commissioners to address things with our congressman that affect people more than cows, mussels, roads, corporations. ... Why don’t you stand up for me and all these people?”
Tipton said the Medicaid expansion would not go away in Colorado, and would continue until 2020. However, he said the federal government is paying nearly twice as much as states for Medicaid following the expansion.
It should be brought back under the power of the states, who can better decide what is best for the community, he said.
“The federal government isn’t a magic pool of money,” Tipton said.
He said he’s hopeful that the economy will improve in the coming years. That would allow those who currently benefit from the Medicaid expansion to get better jobs, earn higher wages and afford better coverage, he said.
Before the meeting, Cortez resident Alex Mason stood on the street with a sign, along with her 7-month-old child. She said she wanted to protest because she felt maternity care was very important. She said taking care of children should be something everyone agrees on.
“Maternity care is something that should absolutely be essential,” she said.
Lewis resident Pamela Lutz said she benefits from Medicaid and as a pre-existing condition. The Affordable Care Act changed her health situation, but the new bill would change it again, she said.
“It would force me to make tough choices,” Lutz said.
When calls from the crowd in the meeting suggested that millions of people would be left without coverage under the new bill, Tipton repeated that those with pre-existing conditions could not be denied coverage.
What will be eliminated, Tipton said, is the mandate that people must buy health insurance. Under the current legislation, it’s illegal not to have coverage. Senators have been clear that they will make adjustments to the AHCA, Tipton said. It will probably need to go before the full congress, he said.
“The bill that we passed is just a step,” he said.
