Tuesday, February 21, 2006

A Four-Part Public Forum Series To Be Held At WAMC’s Linda Norris Auditorium

"Reforming Our Health Care System: The Pros and Cons of 'Medicare for All'"

Beginning on March 7, the Capital District chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program, in association with the NYS League of Women Voters, will host a series of four public forums on the state of health care in our region, state, and nation. Dr. Alan Chartock, President of WAMC- Northeast Public Radio, will moderate each forum.

The series will bring together a diverse group of leaders and experts in health care, business, and politics to discuss the challenge of providing comprehensive, high-quality health care to all our citizens. The series will explore the desirability and feasibility of instituting an expanded “Medicare for All.” The series outline is as follows:

March 7, Noon-2:00 – What is wrong with the current system? Would “Medicare for All” remedy these deficiencies?

Panelists will include:
Oliver Fein, MD, Professor of Clinical Public Health and Associate Dean at Cornell, Chair of the NY Metro chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program
Jeremy Lazarus, MD, Past-President of the Colorado Medical Society, current Vice Speaker of the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association
William Cromie, MD, MBA, former Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Chicago, current President and CEO of the Capital District Physicians Health Plan
Glenn McGee, PhD, the John A. Balint Chair in Medical Ethics at Albany Medical College, Director of the Alden March Bioethics Institute, Editor of the American Journal of Bioethics

March 27, 1:00-3:00 – What lessons can we learn from other countries?

Panelists will include:
P. J. Devereaux, MD, Assistant Professor in the Departments of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and of Medicine, McMaster University in Canada
• Martha Livingston, Ph.D., associate professor of health and society, SUNY Old Westbury, vice-chair of NY Metro chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program
Victor Rodwin, PhD, Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University, author of books on health systems around the world
• Robert A. Scher, MD, Chief of Ophthalmology at Huntington Hospital, President of the Medical Society of the State of New York


April 10, Noon-1:30 – What would an expanded “Medicare for All” look like? What difficulties would have to be overcome in implementing it and getting it to work?

Diane Archer, Esq., founder, former president, and current special counsel of the Medicare Rights Center
Kevin Fleming, MD, assistant professor of Medicine and Neurology, specializing in geriatrics, at the Mayo Clinic, and consultant for the Heritage Foundation
David Himmelstein, MD, associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program
David Pratt, JD, Professor of Law at Albany Law School, co-author of Social Security and Medicare Answer Book

April 24, Noon-2:00 - Can we institute “Medicare for All” in a single state, namely New York?

Panelists include:
Alexander B. (“Pete”) Grannis, chair of the NY Assembly Finance Committee
• Paul Macielak, president and CEO of the New York Health Plan Association
Deborah Richter, M.D., president of Vermont Health Care for All
Leonard Rodberg, Ph.D., chair of the Urban Studies Department at Queen's College and treasurer of the NY Metro chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program
Elliott Shaw, director of government affairs for the Business Council of New York State and its health-policy lobbyist
• Robert A. Scher, M.D., chief of ophthalmology at Huntington Hospital, president of the Medical Society of the State of New York

The public is welcome to all the forums free of charge. Seating is, however, limited. To confirm your attendance or for more information, please email the Capital District Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program at pnhpalbany@verizon.net or telephone at 518-391-2508. Audience members may bring their lunches.

Additional sponsors include the Capital District Alliance for Universal Healthcare, the Hunger Action Network of New York State, the Labor-Religion Coalition, Albany Medical Center, Albany Law School, the MBA Program in Healthcare Management of the Graduate College of Union University, the Medical Society of Albany County, and Rekindling Reform.

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