National Town Hall Meeting on Children's Health Coverage

January 11, 2007

The Campaign for Children's Health Care partnered with six national hospital associations to organize a national town hall meeting via satellite (and simultaneous webcast). The event was held in hospitals nationwide at 12:00 PM ET on Thursday, January 11, 2007. (See the National Town Hall Meeting Webcast and Transcript)

This town hall meeting highlighted the importance of providing all children with adequate health care coverage. The 35-minute national program was broadcast via satellite from Washington, D.C., beginning at 12:00 pm EST, followed by a local event at each participating location. The national program included a discussion about the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), Medicaid, and the plight of uninsured children by national health care leaders and policy experts. The event was moderated by Susan Dentzer, lead health correspondent for PBS's The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

The national program featured: Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR)

After the national event, local town hall meetings conducted a discussion among the local audience, community leaders, and elected officials.

Sponsors: Association of American Medical Colleges, American Hospital Association, Campaign for Children's Health Care, Catholic Health Association of the United States, Families USA, Federation of American Hospitals, National Association of Children's Hospitals, National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems