Moran Hosts Health Care Reform Roundtable in Kansas

Press Release

Moran Hosts Health Care Reform Roundtable in Kansas

Nearly 50 Kansas Professionals Attend to Discuss Proposed Solutions, Concerns

Congressman Jerry Moran today hosted a Health Care Reform Roundtable at Washburn University to discuss current health care issues and to hear the concerns of Kansas health care organizations. Approximately 50 Kansans, including business and health care professionals, academics and patient advocacy groups from across the state traveled to Topeka today to meet with Moran.

"As debate on health care reform legislation begins in Congress, we must ensure that the unique health care needs of Kansans are fought for and addressed," Moran said. "For this reason, I wanted to bring those responsible for delivering health care in Kansas together to discuss current issues and so that I could hear from them and seek their input."

During today's roundtable discussion, Moran and representatives from a wide range of state and local health care organizations discussed: the current health care reform debate in Congress, the need to expand access to health coverage to Kansans, implementing electronic health records and other medical technology, ways to preserve and increase health care quality, reducing and controlling health care costs, and investing in disease prevention and wellness. The discussion also included how to address the increasing health care needs of the aging Baby Boom generation.

Democratic congressional leaders and President Obama recently vowed to pass a comprehensive overhaul of the health care system before the August congressional recess.

"We stand at an important juncture in our health care system," Moran said. "Most agree that our current health care system is broken and unsustainable. In order to fix our broken system, we must reduce underlying health care costs. The debate involves the best way to reach this goal and how to pay for the overhaul. A lot is being said about health care in Washington - I want to hear what Kansans think about these important issues."

Moran concluded the Roundtable by stating that this health care reform discussion would not just be a lone event, but rather the foundation for an important health care dialogue moving forward.

Moran is Co-Chairman of the House Rural Health Care Coalition.

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