Hultgren at Forum: 'We Don't Need Government Takeover' of Health Care

• Editors note: This is the second of a four-part series on health care, following a Monday, Aug. 20, forum at Pheasant Run in St. Charles.

U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, R-14th District, said Monday he sees reason for optimism about the future in spite of the economic struggles the nation faces.

Hultgren spoke only briefly at the start of the “Healthcare and Family Finance Forum” he hosted at at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles. About 50 people attended the event.

“Since I’ve been out in Washington, D.C., these last months, the overwhelming issues that I’m hearing back from people is a real concern and uncertainty over the direction of our nation,” Hultgren said. “And tied directly to that is just the affordability of life. I’m hearing from so many people that life is just less affordable than it’s ever been for them — if not in decades, maybe in their lifetime.”

Factoring heavily into that, he said, is the instability in Washington and an unemployment that for 42 months has been at least 8 percent, “and it may be more than that — a lot of people have given up trying to find work.”

Despite that, Hultgren said he does feel optimism about the future, and forum was intended to share steps people can take to have reasons for that optimism, and to offer factual information people can use to understand the issues and to prepare for their own futures.

“So we have to tighten out belts and live within out means so our children and grandchildren can have a bright future,” he said. “A big part of that is health care — we need to address that.

“Don’t need a large government/bureaucratic takeover of medicine,” he said, adding that specific issues can be addressed in targeted ways.

In that regard, speakers ranged from financial experts discussing saving for retirement and managing those savings; a Social Security Administration official outlining Social Security benefits — from the layers of benefits to how one qualifies for them; financial advisors discussing maintaining good credit, family budgeting and saving for your children’s college education; and a discussion of the Affordable Care Act.

Related:

• Part 1: 
• Part 2: 
• Part 3: Health Care at a Glance
• Part 4: