Aspen Institute and TIME magazine to present panel discussions on health care reform

The Aspen InstituteOct 9 2009

Panel Discussions Also to Feature Top Experts on the Battle Against H1N1

With health care reform headed to the floor of the House and Senate, the Aspen Institute and TIME magazine will present a day of panel discussions designed to shed light on what the looming changes will mean for the American people. The symposium will be held at the Top of the Hill Banquet and Conference Center, at the Reserve Officers Association, One Constitution Avenue, N.E., (directly across from the Senate Dirksen Building) on Wednesday, October 14, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The event, titled "Aspen Health Forum Highlights," is free and open to the public, with advance registration required. To register, visit www.AspenHealthForum.org/oct14. Speakers include:

• The Hon. Tom Daschle; Former Senate Majority Leader
• The Hon. Richard A. Gephardt; President and CEO, Gephardt Government Affairs
• The Hon. Billy Tauzin; President and CEO, PhRMA
• David Brennan; Chairman and CEO, AstraZeneca
• David B. Snow, Jr.; Chairman and CEO, Medco

Panel discussions will consider key elements of the bill authored by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, which the committee is scheduled to vote on Tuesday; the payoff associated with medical research and reform; and comparative effectiveness.

The other major theme of the day is the public health battle against H1N1, with two sessions, titled "Strain on the System: Swine Flu and the Public Health Response" and "Vaccine Wars: Doctors vs. Pathogens" planned. Speakers in those sessions include:

• Anthony Fauci, MD; Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH
• Gary Nabel, MD, PhD; Director, Vaccine Research Center, NIH
• Sir Richard Feachem, PhD, DSc; Director, Global Health Group, UCSF

The Aspen Health Forum Highlights is an effort to build on the timeliest and most engaging discussions held this past summer at the Aspen Health Forum at the Aspen Institute's campus in Aspen, Colorado.

Presented by the Aspen Institute and TIME magazine, the Aspen Health Forum is the one of the foremost gatherings of opinion leaders in health care, including world-class medical scientists, industry leaders, policymakers, scholars and others committed to medical innovation, global health and health care reform. For more information about the forum, visit www.AspenHealthForum.org.