‘The people want health care change,’ says Rep. Norman during Fort Mill tour

U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a Rock Hill Republican, said Monday he remained committed to repealing the Affordable Care Act when he returns to Congress in September.

A team of health care professionals in Fort Mill urged Norman to throw his influence behind another bill they believe could affect hundreds of patients in the greater Charlotte area.

Erik Wright, regional operations director of DaVita Kidney Care, urged Norman to support an industry-written bill he said would improve the care that dialysis patients receive.

The Dialysis Patients Demonstration Act, he said, would allow patients and doctors to work together toward better patient care rather than remain on a “fee-for-service” focus.

“We want to take care of the whole patient and keep them out of the hospital,” Wright said. “This is our effort of moving the ball a little bit further to value-based care.”

Norman toured DaVita’s Fort Mill facility Monday morning, listening to local nurses and doctors about what they see on a daily basis. Norman said the tour had special significance because his father Warren briefly underwent dialysis before succumbing to cancer at the age of 83.

The congressman spent a few minutes on the floor with dialysis patients at the Fort Mill center. Dialysis patients typically receive treatment at their local center for about four hours a day, three days a week.

Norman is in the middle of a monthlong tour of South Carolina’s 5th District during the congressional summer recess. He said he has heard “a lot of concern and interest” from his constituents over the national health care debate.

In fact, the issue has dominated the airwaves this summer: Senate Republicans were unable to pass a “skinny repeal” of the Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare” last month, but President Donald Trump has urged national lawmakers to keep working to fulfill Trump’s campaign promise.

“It’s going to have to be done,” Norman said. “The American people want a change. ... We have to make things happen. They want something done, they want action to be taken. Not doing anything is not an option.”

The Patients act, Wright argues, would allow the dialysis clinic to become the main portal for a patient’s medical needs. The clinic would be responsible for coordinating with other Medicare providers on medications and dosage needs.

Wright said dialysis patients make up just 1 percent of those on Medicare, but represent 7 percent of its costs. Norman said he study the bill carefully.

Norman said he was struck by seeing the patients. He urged Wright and his team to continue to get involved in the political sphere and reach out to their South Carolina senators.

“Every politician ought to be in here,” he said. “When you see the look of people’s faces ... it’s kind of real. Y’all are where the rubber meets the road. On a bill like this or anything else, they need to hear from you.”

DaVita has 16 clinics in the greater Charlotte area, Wright said. He said the bill has received support among patient advocacy groups and his competitors, and is awaiting a score from the Congressional Budget Office.

Wright said he felt confident that the bill would be revenue-neutral.

“We’re proud of the progress we’ve made so far,” Wright said. “We really hope (Norman) saw what our patients experience.”

This story was originally published August 14, 2017 at 5:29 PM with the headline "‘The people want health care change,’ says Rep. Norman during Fort Mill tour."