Its time to pull up a chair and talk about health care in our area. I know it is a pretty dry subject, but after driving around Chippewa Falls and Lake Hallie seeing Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers smiling face on billboards, if Aaron can discuss it so can we.

Over the weekend of March 18-19 I was made aware of a statement by Mayo Health System CEO Dr. John Noseworthy. Were asking if the patient has commercial insurance, or theyre Medicaid or Medicare patients and theyre equal, that we prioritize the commercial insured patients enough so we can be financially strong at the end of the year. (Pioneer Press)

As I am writing this article, Dr. Noseworthy is trying to clarify his remarks to assure that everyone will be treated the same by the Mayo Health Care System. As they say, the cat is out of the bag and is bounding across the barnyard.

At this point in my writing I would usually give out additional facts and figures from noted newspapers and other sources. But Dr. Noseworthy saved me both the time and the trouble. Additionally, I doctor at Mayo Clinic and will keep his statement in mind. Thanks, Doc.

As President Trump and Congress learned once again, health care is a complex issue. In Lake Hallie sits a small urgent care center of the Marshfield Clinic. Down Highway 53 Oak Leaf Surgical Hospital rests against the hills. Eau Claire has the Mayo System and Sacred Heart Hospital. On the northeast side of Chippewa Falls, St. Josephs Hospital stands as a symbol of health care for over a century.

The competition for a health care dollar is intense, and with the number of providers in the area, our health care costs should be the lowest in the state, but they are not. That honor goes to Madison and the Fox Valley area, which includes Green Bay. Perhaps that is why Aaron Rodgers is smiling.

We really should thank our Congress, Rep. Paul Ryan and President Trump for killing the Trump Care bill. It appears that people want to see their doctor on a regular basis and dont want to go bankrupt doing it. But there is far more to the story.

We are headed to what every other civilized country has: National Health Insurance. It may not be pretty and it may not be easy at first, but it will our secure our future as a country that cares about its people.

The problem in health care is on display right now as two area health care providers take on each other in the newspapers and the courts. Marshfield Clinic Health System and the Hospital Sisters Health System are at odd over costs. I believe it is not a cost issue but a philosophy issue.

While Marshfield and HSHS fight, we are urged every night on TV and radio to see our doctor about some new cure, pill or procedure. We are part of the problem. Drug companies are part of the problem, advertising at all levels for health care related products are part of the problem. Insurance companies are part of the problem. Politicians are part of the problem.

Do I dare say it? Aaron Rodgers may be part of the problem. I am sure Aarons smiling face on those billboards cost something. I wonder what kind of health plan the Packers offer for their employees and players? If Aaron gets hurt on the field, is it a workmans comp injury?

I do not have all the answers, but I know something has to change. I know gas prices dropped in the area when a grocery store that has a gasoline station with it opened in Altoona. Perhaps that is not how things work in health care. As long as people do not have health insurance or single payer health care, maybe the law of supply and demand cant work.

However I have a hunch if the Mayo brothers or the six doctors who founded the Marshfield Clinic came back they would not approve of how health care is run now. Have a good week and stay healthy. If you see Aaron Rodgers, say Hi for me.

Read more:

John Andersen: Get educated about your local health care options - Chippewa Herald