Hearings planned on universal health care
State Senate committee will be in Medford and Ashland in late March to hear residents' comments

March 1, 2007

SALEM — The co-chairmen of a special Senate committee on health care reform will hold public hearings around the state to discuss a proposal before the Legislature for universal health care coverage.

Sens. Alan Bates, D-Ashland, and Ben Westlund, D-Tumalo, will visit 17 cities, including Medford and Ashland. The Medford hearing will begin at 10 a.m. March 24 at the Central Library, 205 S. Central Ave.

The Ashland session will begin at 7 p.m. March 23 at a location to be announced.

Bates, a primary care physician, and Westlund have been spearheading a proposal to contain health-care costs — about $17 billion a year in Oregon alone — and make sure all Oregonians have access to an affordable essential benefits package.

"We want to produce a framework for comprehensive reform that is economically sustainable," Bates said.

Senate Bill 329 brings the many programs — state, federal and private — under a single board. The goal is to begin issuing health care coverage cards by January 2009.

The new system would also stress preventive medicine and management of long-term health problems. Bates said the hearings in the Capitol have been productive, but said many people can't come to Salem.

"We want to bring the discussion to them," he said.

The schedule has been structured so the two lawmakers can still attend Senate floor sessions. "We probably won't miss any votes," Bates said.

In addition to SB 329, the committee is looking at proposals by former Gov. John Kitzhaber, the Oregon Health Policy Commission and the Small Business Council. The proposals have many similarities, Bates noted.

NOTE: The meetings are not official hearings of the Senate Special Committee.  They are town hall meetings.