Forum To Address Long-Term Health Care Issues

HouseSpeaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday held a forum with Democraticleaders, members of the Bush administration and medical experts to discusslong-term health care issues, CongressDaily reports. Forumattendees included CDC Director Julie Gerberding, National Cancer Institute Director John Niederhuber, NIH Director Elias Zerhouni, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) andHouse Ways and Means HealthSubcommittee ChairPete Stark (D-Calif.).

Democratic aides said that the forum focused on medical research andtechnological advances but also addressed access to care and the issue of theuninsured. In a statement, Pelosi said that many U.S. residents, some of whom havehealth insurance, do not receive necessary preventive care for chronic diseasessuch as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. According to CongressDaily,the statement indicates that Democrats "might be adding issues such asquality of care and prevention to their health message this year"(Johnson, CongressDaily, 1/15).

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