MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 1:51 pm

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) addressed concerned citizens at a town hall Wednesday morning in Murfreesboro. TMP/M. Willard

Health insurance reform is what the county needs, not health care reform Sen. Bob Corker when he addressed a town hall meeting Wednesday morning in Murfreesboro.

Corker (R-Tenn.) was on hand at the Stones River Country Club to answer questions from the assembled audience.

But before questions were answered, Corker outlined his thoughts on the health care reform debate.

“I am for, personally, I am for health insurance reform,” Corker said, adding the health care system works well, but the insurance industry needs some changes.

“We need to focus on insurance reforms that will keep the best of our health care delivery system,” he added later.

Corker would like to see medical malpractice tort reform, a way for people with pre-existing conditions to purchase health care, interstate competition for insurance companies and finally, tax code equity.

“An individual who’s not covered … should be able to pay with pre-tax dollars, not after tax dollars,” he said.

Corker is opposed to a government-run public plan, because it could create a monopoly, he said.

“First we should do no harm, but make it (insurance) available to more people,” he said.

He is also opposed to taking money from Medicare to fund new entitlements or creating unfunded mandates for states like Tennessee.

Corker’s outline brought applause from those gathered at the town hall, who were concerned about a variety of topics related to the health care reform debate.

Most said they supported Corker’s position on the topic and asked him to stand his ground when he returns to Washington, D.C. in the fall.

Dr. Rob Greenburg, from the Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance was one speaker who asked Corker to look into the cost of health care.

“The longer I’m in medicine, the less I know how to fix it,” Greenburg said. “I just want to help people.”

Part of the reason health care is so costly, Greenburg explained, is because of the people who are employed to make sure insurance forms are filled and filed correctly. His practice employs five to six people for every doctor to perform this one task, he said.

He also said Medicare doesn’t pay enough for medical procedures and the cost is shifted on to other patients, he said.

Corker said his solution of interstate competition would solved the Medicare problem and a public option would only make it worse.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.