President Bill called the meeting to order at 12:15. After lunch, Greeter Wes Baumann announced the following visiting guests and Rotarians: Neal King, Visiting Rotarian from Skokie Valley Club; Jessie Butler, wife of our speaker Peter Butler, who noted that they share the same birth DAY, and that she is 6 hours older than her husband; Jeff Wahl, representing the Winnetka Community House.
No birthdays this week, and one anniversary: Randy Reeves, 6 years.
Announcements:
--In recognition of World Polio Day, several Rotarians collected at the train station on 10-24. Thanks to Bill Leske, Rich Lalley, Crystal LeRoy, Sam Badger and Anna Helfman.
--Our meeting on November 1 will not be at the Community House due to the A+M show. Watch your email and bulletin for location.
--Make A Difference Day is Saturday, October 27 from 9-12. Rotarians are needed to help to unload and organize donations.
--Operation Warm coat distribution events will be occurring at Chicago Public Libraries in the next 6 weeks. Signup sheets were available and Rich also sent out an email with a Signup Genius link.
--Note that our Holiday Luncheon is on December 13th, featuring the New Trier Swing Choir as usual.
--Patti invited all to a ribbon cutting on the 25th at 5:00 in the new office of The Winnetka Club, room 203 at the Community House.
--Ned asked all Rotarians to visit his Facebook page to see what he has been up to in Ecuador.
Happy Bucks:
Rich provided a Happy Buck in honor of his son Alex, who received his Doctorate in Psychology last weekend.
Dig N Grin:
Fred filled in for Gerry Keenan with a humorous story.
Speaker: Peter Butler, Winnetka resident spoke on How Could the Mid-term Elections Impact Healthcare?
Mr. Butler is a nationally recognized health care executive with almost 40 years of experience in teaching hospitals and health care systems. In addition to being immediate past president of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Butler is currently professor and chairman of the Department of Health Systems Management at Rush University, which is home to the masters program in health care administration ranked 5th in the country by U.S. News and World Report. Before to joining Rush in 2002, Mr. Butler served as president and chief executive officer of the Methodist Hospital System (now Houston Methodist) in Houston, Texas, and as senior vice president and chief administrative officer of the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.
Discussion was around the issues with healthcare: expense, lack of choice in networks, lack of coverage of pre-existing conditions, finding effective insurance that provides enough coverage.
18 states have sued to repeal Obamacare, but it is not clear as of yet what would replace it. In Obamacare, the biggest increase in coverage was placing more people on Medicaid: 18 million more people are now insured. Many states have adopted work requirements to be eligible for Medicaid; if you’re healthy, you have to have a job to qualify.
While turnout will be a determining factor, if the House is controlled by the Democrats after the election, there will be little forward progress as the focus will be on the 2020 election.
Democrats urge “Medicare for all”, while Peter believes that should be termed “insurance for all”, not necessarily Medicare, as the Republicans may term this as “socialized medicine”.
At the end of the meeting, Heidi’s ticket won the raffle and she pulled the King of Hearts.
The meeting ended at 1:30 with the Four-Way Test.