BY BETH VELLIQUETTE

bvelliquette@heraldsun.com; 918-1042

CHAPEL HILL — Opponents and proponents of President Barack Obama’s health care plan peppered U.S. Rep. David Price (D-NC 4) with questions Wednesday night at a health care forum on the UNC campus.

The forum, held in Wilson Library, was sponsored by the UNC Young Democrats but was open to the public. It was generally a young audience, but people of all ages and opinions attended and asked questions.

Price spoke for 15 minutes before taking questions. He explained that five committees have presented plans or are working on plans for health care reform.

The health care plans are not meant to upend the present American public-private model of insurance but rather correct it, Price said. It will not be like the German, British or Canadian programs, he said.

“We’re implementing a unique American hybrid,” Price said.

The plans will leave in place the present work-based insurance programs, as well as Medicare and Medicare Advantage programs, Medicaid and the children’s insurance program, he said.

But the new plan will get rid of the discrimination that keeps people from getting the insurance and provide a public health care insurance program for people who chose to use it, he said.

As an example, he told of a 63-year-old friend who retired at the age of 62. He’s too young for Medicare, and when he asked for a quote from a private insurance company he was told it would cost him $4,000 a month, Price said.

Everyone needs to be covered, which will increase the risk pool and spread out the cost among a greater number of people, he said.

“You can’t have the insurance available without having that universal inclusion,” Price said.

Some people at the forum opposed the public health care option. A couple of people got into a short shouting match about the possibility with one person saying if people don’t like the public option, they should get private insurance.

“I have private,” the person responded.

“Then don’t get public,” the first person called back across the room. “There’s no problem.”

The question, of course, is how to pay for the programs, Price said. Three-quarters of the arguments are about the costs of the programs, he said.

“Despite the headaches it gives us, we have to do it,” he said.

Obama wants a pay-as-you-go plan, unlike former President George Bush, who was willing to take the country into debt to pay for tax cuts and the war, Price said.

One person asked Price if the government owns 50 percent of the health care system now, why it isn’t better. Price responded by saying he should ask any senior citizen if Medicare hasn’t made a difference in their lives.

Another woman in the audience wanted Price to assure her that the program wouldn’t cover illegal immigrants. Price told her the bill states undocumented aliens are not eligible.

She responded by asking where in the bill does it say that patients will have to provide documentation showing they are legal citizens.

Price responded that illegal aliens would still go to emergency rooms for care.

“We’re not going to turn them away,” he said. “We’re not going to refuse to give vaccinations because they might infect your children and mine.”

Although other congressmen have faced hostile audiences, the crowd of more than 100 people was generally polite and well-behaved, with both opponents and proponents raising their voices for a few moments as they attempted to make their points.

Police did not allow any banners, signs, posters or noisemakers into the forum.