WATERLOO -- Cedar Valley residents gathered Tuesday for an intimate, round-table discussion about health care and financial security.

The evening wasn't short on ideas.

Citizens gathered in a small circle at Allen College to bounce around ideas for health care reform, ranging from workplace incentives for preventive health to doing away with congressional health care after politicians leave office. The group also discussed retirement security.

The conversation is part of a statewide effort by AARP called the "Divided We Fail" campaign, which is designed to raise awareness of these two issues, especially for the 2008 presidential election.

The moderator, Kim Spillers, of Global Horizons, a Western Iowa-based strategic planning organization, said a common thread in conversations across the state is a distrust of government. Those at the forum voiced that sentiment strongly, calling for term limits and doing away with retirement benefits.

"Iowans seem to feel that many politicians promise things before they're elected, and don't follow through once they're elected; and they're tired of it," Spillers said. "Many people have commented that's one reason why we have so much voter apathy."

Despite disgust with Washington, those who attended the event acknowledged that ultimately it is up to them, the voters, to bring about change.

Spillers said that recognition is what gives her hope that people will be re-energized to participate in public life.

"I think that is the most exciting thing about the campaign, is to get the country involved again in how we rule ourselves."

Rita Sterler, who also works for the advocacy group Iowa For Health Care, said all employers should offer incentives for people to keep a healthy body weight and not smoke.

"We should also require people to work if they can, but also take care of those who fall through the cracks."

Mimi Kuester elicited a collective groan of recognition when she talked of the need to abolish health care providers' ability to refuse coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Instead, she said everyone should be thrown into a pot with standardized health care rates.

"People don't choose to be sick," she said.

Taking that idea a step further, the group decided it also would be a good idea to put small businesses and big corporations on equal footing, so everyone pays the same rate regardless of how many employees a business employs.

Spillers said a popular idea around the state to help keep Social Security solvent is to raise the income ceiling, currently $97,500. Income above that level currently isn't taxed for Social Security.

Contact Jens Manuel Krogstad at (319) 291-1580 or jens.krogstad@wcfcourier.com.

{M3Health care facts

- Nine percent of Iowans do not have health insurance. That includes 12 percent of 19- to 64-year-olds, 6 percent of children and 31 percent of Hispanics.

- Since 1980, health care expenditures in Iowa have grown an average of 7.6 percent per year.

- The average employee contribution for health insurance rose from $392 per year in 1998 to $680 per year in 2003.

- In the last seven years, the average manufacturers' price of 153 common drugs increased almost 54 percent, more than two-and-a-half times the inflation rate.

Social Security facts

-In 2003, one in five Iowa residents received Social Security.

-Social Security makes up at least half of the income for more than half of Iowans 65 and older. One-fifth of older Iowans rely on Social Security as their only source of income.

Source: AARP