Event: Health Care Town Hall with Senators Ben Westlund and Alan Bates, and Representative Ben Cannon

Date & Time: Saturday March 17, 1-3 pm

Location: Portland Community College - Southeast, 2305 SE 82nd Ave., Mt. Tabor Hall, Rooms 143-144

On Saturday March 17 (St. Patrick's Day), from 1-3 pm, Rep. Cannon will host a town hall on health care with Senators Ben Westlund and Alan Bates as part of their Hope for a Healthy Oregon tour.

The Legislature will consider several broad health care reform proposals this session, including former Gov. John Kitzhaber's Oregon Better Health Act, which promotes a vision of health care rooted in traditional democratic values such as fairness, inclusion, and equality; the Healthy Kids Program, which would ensure all children in Oregon have access to affordable health care by equalizing Oregon's tobacco tax rates with those in the state of Washington plus a 60-40 federal match of the resulting new revenue; and the Oregon Health Fund Program (the "Bates-Westlund" plan), which Rep. Cannon will be discussing with Senators Westlund and Bates on March 17.

These three ideas share the same essence: affordable, high-quality, health care that provides a basic benefit and focuses on prevention. The Healthy Kids Program covers all Oregon children, while the Oregon Better Health Act and Oregon Health Fund Program cover Oregon adults as well. Individuals and employers would have the option of purchasing additional insurance to supplement basic coverage.

More than 617,000 Oregonians, including 117,000 children, have no health insurance. Ninety-one percent of these children have at least one working parent. Good health is a starting point for equal opportunity, and increased health insurance coverage also makes good fiscal sense. Health insurance enables prevention and early diagnosis of medical problems, and saves spending on emergency room fees charged to the state by the uninsured.

The town hall on March 17 is a key piece of working through the details and building energy for health care reform, and we need the public's help. We are honored to host Senators Westlund and Bates for this event. We hope you can come!

State Representative Ben Cannon
900 Court St. NE, H-487
Salem, OR 97301
rep.bencannon@state.or.us
http://www.repbencannon.com
(503) 986-1446