GOSHEN- Many residents who spoke during Thursday’s health forum at the Orange County Emergency Services Center were upset with the federal government for even considering universal healthcare.

Rep. John Hall (D – Dover Plains), organized the event.  He has held more than 70 of the ‘town hall’ style sessions in recent months.

Hall, left, and Wells, part of the usual overflow crowd that gathers for these forums

“I don’t think universal healthcare works anywhere,” said Chester resident Morgan Wells, 23, a recent college grad.  Wells said she decided to not carry health insurance after college, but pointed out that it was her choice and not anyone else’s to make.

“I think that it should allow younger people to stay on their parents’ plan a little longer, so that when they get out of college, they have health care until they get a job.  I think after that, you should get a job and the job should supply your health care.  Or, maybe you should be able to choose to buy your own private insurance.”

“I don’t have healthcare, but I like that I have that choice right now.  The government feels they need to do everything for Americans these days.  They think we’re stupid.  They don’t give us enough credit.”

Hall said going to universal healthcare wasn’t a “decision based on the American public being stupid, but one based on a failing system.”

The crowd that gathered at the health forum, sponsored by Congressman John Hall, was so large that police prevented over one hundred residents from entering the auditorium.  Hall decided to break the forum up into two groups so everyone could attend.

Warwick resident Joseph Abrams made his point very clear to the Congressman when he argued that there “are too many illegal immigrants taking advantage of our healthcare system.”  He said he’d like to see more regulations against that if healthcare was to go universal.

“These are the same people that use the healthcare system, and, of course, don’t pay anything for it, and they don’t have to”, Abrams said.  “They just walk in if they have a sniffle and use an emergency room like we use a private physician.  If you cut that out, and stop giving illegals use of our facilities, the American people would not have to pay the absorbitant losses that are incurred by the healthcare system.”

Others expressed concern over the current private healthcare system, and how to address possible corruption and increasing malpractice suits.

Hall claimed that universal healthcare would solve both of those issues, and cut down on inefficiency in the healthcare system.  The Congressman said illegal immigration is “a whole other issue that won’t be solved within the new bill.”