OTTUMWA — Affordability was a big concern expressed at a forum about rural health care.

The Center for Rural Affairs, the Iowa Farmers Union and Iowa Citizen Action Network hosted Wednesday night’s forum in Ottumwa. About 10 people showed up.

The forums were organized to give people in rural areas a voice about health care. There are five forums planned in the state; Wednesday’s was the third.

One concern “that came up over and over was the issue of access to mental health care,” said Virginia Wolking, rural policy organizer with the Center for Rural Affairs.

Dr. Peter Reiter, internal medicine regional medical health director for Iowa Health Systems in Ottumwa, said fewer people are entering medicine in general, especially in Iowa.

“What worries me the most is that in Iowa, we have just enough primary care doctors, many of them are over 55. We are 5-10 years away from a very serious shortage,” said Reiter.

The small group discussed the benefits and downfalls of a single-pay health care system.

“I am terrified of the single-payer system,” said Randy Bradley of Agency, a small business owner.

Others thought there has to be some form of government help.

“There are 40 million people in the country who don’t have health insurance and those people suffer and their children suffer. Those numbers will go down with government involvement,” Reiter said.

“We need to figure out how to make the health care system better. We’re smart enough to do it. We can do a lot of things, we can go to the moon,” said Rollin Howell, retired farmer and former state legislator, of Moravia. “I wish there was an easy answer.”

Pat Shaver can be reached at (641) 683-5360 or via e-mail at p.shaver@ottumwacourier.com.