UNC doctor travels to Washington as N.C. rep

A UNC doctor will represent North Carolina in a meeting today with President Barack Obama.

Stephen Gamboa, clinical instructor in the department of family medicine, is participating in a health care reform discussion at the White House. Obama invited one doctor from each state.

“President Obama organized this event and wanted a physician from each state to show that doctors are indeed supporting health care reform,” Gamboa said.

The doctors, mostly selected from an organization called Doctors for America, will be expressing their concerns about the health care system and support for the president’s reform.

“Our efforts are based on making insurance accessible for all, prevention and wellness, advocating for a public option and strengthening primary care,” he said.

Gamboa said they will be discussing the importance of the public insurance option with Obama even though the U.S. Senate vetoed last week two proposals that included public options.

 “I particularly support the public insurance option because it will keep the private insurance companies honest,” Gamboa said.

He said meeting will also focus on coming up with ways to make insurance affordable for all.

About 14,000 people lose insurance coverage every day, and 47 million were reported to be uninsured in 2008. With unprecedented unemployment rates, the numbers are probably even worse now, Gamboa said.

“We need a system that does not bankrupt families through medical bills,” he said. “I think (Obama) is a very intelligent person and has great ideas for health reform.”



Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.