LETTERS: LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS SETS TOWN MEETING ON HEALTH CARE

To the editor:

Over the past several months, the League of Women Voters has followed the debate on health care reform, and, like other Americans, we have had a hard time following all of the issues in the debate. Imagining what form a new national health care system might take, when Congress finally passes some legislation, is even more confusing. In order to understand the different projected costs and financial options, people need clearly stated facts without jargon. Citizens also need an opportunity to voice their concerns and their support or opposition to different proposals. In view of that, the League of Women Voters Education Fund and the Kaiser Family Foundation (an independent health care philanthropy) will sponsor "Citizens Voice for Citizen's Choice," a national satellite town meeting on health care reform.

On Friday, Sept. 16, from 12:45 to 3 p.m., the League of Women Voters of Cape Girardeau County and the Southeast Missouri University Department of Nursing will host a downlink site at the University Center Ballroom. The town meeting will originate from Washington, D.C., with downlink sites in 250 cities in America and be offered free and open to the public.

Health care experts will discuss what coverage will include, how that coverage will be financed and how a new system will work. Audience members will be able to ask questions of the panel by directly calling a special 800 number.

Carole Simpson, ABC News anchor, will moderate. The panel members are Becky Cain, chair, League of Women Voters Education Fund; Drew Altman, president of Kaiser Family Foundation; Kathleen Hall Jamieson, dean of the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania; Margaret Jordan, vice president and medical director of Southern California Edison; Marilyn Moon, senior fellow of the Urban Institute; Diane Rowland, senior vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress have also been invited to participate.

Two publications, "Voicing Your Choice: A Guide to Citizen Participation in Health Care Reform" and "Critical Choices in Health Care Reform," will be distributed. Members of the audience will be encouraged to voice their opinions and concerns to members of Congress.

We urge everyone who is concerned about health care reform to take advantage of this special opportunity to get involved and participate in this important conference.

FRANCES S. HARRIS, President

MARILYN RITTER, Health Care Director

League of Women Voters of Cape Girardeau County