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WEBVTT INSTEAD SENDING HIS DEMUNT LACE ON. >> THING YOU FOR LETTING US COME. MY ROLE IS TO SIT AND LISTEN. >> FOR THOSE WHO PACKED THE CHURCH FOR A CITIZENS TOWN HALL, THAT WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH.ONE ASKED IF HARRIS WOULD SUPPORT A PUBLICLY FUNDED, PRIFFLETTED PROVIDED HEALTH CARE PLAN?>> MEDICATION IS COVERED, DENTAL IS COVERED WHEN YOU NEED IT. IF YOU ARE HOMELESS OR IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF MONEY, IT IS COVERED.IF THAT PLAN EXISTS AND IS DOABLE AND IS CHEAPER THAN THE WAY WE ARE DOING IT NOW, WOULD REPRESENTATIVE HARRIS SUPPORT THAT? >> WE WILL GET A RESPONSE DIRECTLY FROM THE CONKLINMAN. >> ALSO IN THE ROOM, REPRESENTATIVES FOR CONGRESSMAN JAYMEE RAYS KIN, SMART BEN CARDEN. >> LISTEN TO THIS STAFFER.80% OF DEMPSTERS SUPPORT IMPROVED MED COMPARE FOR ALL. WHY DOESN'T HE REPRESENT US?FINALLY SAYS HE SUPPORTS IT.HE HAS BEEN IN OFFICE THIS WHOLE CENTURY AND DONE NOTHING. >> THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS HEILMANNED THE SUCCESSES.>> FROM 2013 TO 2016 THE NUMBER OF UNINSURED MARYLANDERS HAS DECLINED BY MORE THAN ONE THIRD.>> GREAT ON THE SIDE OF PREVENTION. BUT WHEN YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU HAVE A CHRONIC ILLNESS, SOME OF THESE PLANS ARE NOT WORKING.>> AND SUGGESTED FIXES. >> SO IF WE EXPANDED OUR TRADITIONAL MEDICARE SYSTEM TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON, WE WOULD SAVE OVER $600 BILLION A YEAR.>> CITIZENS FOR HEALTH CARE ORGANIZED TONIGHT'S TOWN HALL MEETING.THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO HOST IT BECAUSE THEY WERE FRUSTRATED THAT CONKLINMAN HARRIS HADN'T HELD TOWN HALL MEETINGS.THEY HELD THREE OTHERS LAST MONTH.

Advertisement Affordable Care Act debated in Carroll County Town hall in Westminster highlights positives, negatives of health care legislation

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A citizens group said it is frustrated with Rep. Andy Harris' lack of in-person town halls on the future of the Affordable Care Act. So the group Carroll CAN scheduled one Thursday in Carroll County and invited Harris, Maryland's lone Republican congressman, to attend. Download the WBAL app. Harris did not attend the meeting, but did send his community liaison in his place. The Baltimore County Republican plans to hold a town hall of his own on March 31. His office added that Harris held three tele-town halls in the past two weeks for constituents. For some who packed a Westminster church for a citizens’ town hall, only having Harris’ liaison, Mary O’Keeffe, was not good enough. One resident asked O’Keeffe if Harris would support a publicly funded, privately provided plan. “Medication is covered,” the resident said. “Dental is covered when you need it. If you're homeless or if you have a lot of money it’s covered. If that plan exists and is doable and is cheaper than the way we're doing it now, would Rep. Harris support that?” Also in the room were representatives for Rep. Jamie Raskin, Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Sen. Ben Cardin. Residents did hear from a panel of health care professionals who highlighted the successes of the Affordable Care Act. “From 2013 to 2016 the number of uninsured Marylanders has declined by more than one third,” Kaylie Potter, with Door to Healthcare, said. Other professionals talked about the act’s failures. “It's great on the side of prevention, but when you get to the point where you have a chronic illness, some of these insurance plans are not working,” Carroll County health officer Ed Singer said. Dr. Margaret Flowers with Healthcare is a Human Right said there are ways to fix the act. “If we expanded our Medicare, our traditional Medicare system, to every single person, we would save over $600 billion a year,” Flowers said.