Senator Tom Harkin Joins AARP and Divided We Fail Wellness and Prevention Forum on Health Reform

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and AARP National President Jennie Chin Hansen focused attention on wellness and prevention as critical pieces in health reform legislation during Iowa’s second AARP/Divided We Fail national town hall forum on Saturday, June 6 in North Liberty, Iowa.

A standing room only crowd of almost 200 AARP members, business, health and community leaders participated in the 90-minute event at the North Liberty Recreation Center.

Senator Harkin expressed confidence health reform will be enacted this year. He said attempts for reform in the early 1990s failed because we didn’t have the critical mass, and this time things are different. “We need health reform,” he said. “We cannot fail in this. We’ve got to get it done.”

AARP President Jennie Chin Hansen said, “Prevention and wellness is our common ground that we can really build on. It’s not just about health care. It’s about health.” Chin Hansen’s remarks were followed by expert panelists Sue Curry, Ph.D., Dean of the University of Iowa School of Public Health; Cathy Glasson, Iowa State President of SEIU and Troy Vincent, Executive Director of Live Healthy America.

Senator Harkin chairs the Senate panel that funds medical research, health care and education initiatives and is a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP).

This event followed a similar national town hall event on health reform AARP and Divided We Fail hosted with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in Mason City during the April Recess. The program was co-sponsored by statewide Mediacom. Mediacom subscribers can view the Harkin forum via Mediacom Channel 1 “On Demand” program service.

Visit dividedwefail.org or healthactionnow.org for more information.