Health Care Reform Information Meeting November 19, 2009

A Discussion of National Health Care Reform Issues will be hosted by Triad and the League of Women Voters at the Anderson Library on November 19, 10:30a.m.
Listed below is a panel of speakers that are connected with national organizations that have lobbied for national health care reform.
* Katie Humphreys, System Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy at St. Vincent’s Health who is a part of Ascension Health. Ascension is the nation’s largest nonprofit health system and advocates healthcare reform that ensures both 100% access to healthcare and 100% coverage.
* Elmer Blankenship, President of the Indiana Alliance for Retired Americans. The Alliance is a coalition of community-based organizations and AFL-CIO affiliated unions. The Alliance unites retirees who are committed to one common goal--building the most effective organization to advocate for America's seniors at the national, state and local levels.
* James Wallihan, Indiana President of United Senior Action (USA). Since 1979, USA of Indiana has been uniting older Hoosiers into a powerful voice to impact policies affecting our lives and our communities.
* Sarah Waddle, Indiana AARP Associate Director Advocacy Network.
Julia Vaughn, Policy Director of Common Cause Indiana has sent Triad public financial reports that show health related industries “have spent an average of $1.4 million per day to lobby Congress so far this year and are on track to spend more than a half a billion dollars by the end of 2009.” “The American people are justifiably concerned that the health industries will seek a sizable return on their investments and may defeat meaningful reform once again.”
The costs of health care in the United States last year was over $2 trillion and over 50 million legitimate U.S. citizens are uninsured.
Dennis Lanane, Triad Chairman
Beth McKenzie, Chairman, League of Women Voters