Prospects, Challenges for Health Care Reform Subject of Conference
At the American Health Care Congress in Ontario this week, a panel of health care experts revisited Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) health care reform plan and discussed other challenges to the health care system, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports (Hines, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 10/21).
The Senate Health Committee rejected the governor's proposal in January (California Healthline, 1/29).
Sessions addressed obstacles to Schwarzenegger's health care overhaul, health care reform efforts in other states and the case for reworking the health care delivery and financing systems.
Panelists at the meeting included:
- Benjamin Chu, president of Kaiser Permanente's Southern California region;
- Robert Craig of Citizens Action of Wisconsin;
- Peter Harbage, president of the health policy consulting firm Harbage and Associates;
- Jim Lott, executive vice president of the Hospital Association of Southern California; and
- Nancy Turnbull of the Harvard School of Public Health (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 10/21).