Public Forum on Proposed Health Care Law at The Commons

by Adam Frazier
March 8, 2012
The public is invited to a free discussion and public health care forum at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 5 in the Nugent-Custer Performance Hall at The Commons.

Cosponsored by the MBA Program and Business Society at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC), the event will feature an expert panel of speakers who specialize in health care law.

The program is intended to increase understanding about how proposed health care laws may impact individuals, families, businesses, hospitals, health care providers, governmental agencies, and other stakeholders.

The university offers the forum in light of a current legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is constitutional.  PPACA is intended to ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care and will transform the nation’s health care system to contain costs. Along with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, the PPACA was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010.

The panelists include:
  • David Orentlicher | Samuel R. Rosen Professor of Law and co-director of the William S. and Christine S. Hall Center for Law & Health, Indiana University.
  • Kristen Gentry | Partner, Krieg DeVault; health, welfare, and employee benefits legal expert
  • David E. Jose | Partner, Krieg Devault; health care, corporate, administrative, and regulatory legal expert
  • Jason A. Houdek | Partner, Krieg DeVault; intellectual property legal expert
  • Ryan Neville-Shepard | Professor, Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus; rhetoric and debate expert
  • Brian Jacobs | Founder and owner, Advanced Primary Care Associates
  • Douglas J. Leonard | President, Indiana Hospital Association
Audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions and offer commentary.

"This forum is an excellent example of how IUPUC is delivering resources and programming that is responsive to local interests and needs,” said Dr. Marwan Wafa, vice chancellor and dean. “We anticipate a lively discussion on this topic, which is of importance to Americans of all ages and backgrounds."

According to Dr. Ryan Brewer, assistant professor of finance and faculty advisor for the university’s Business Society, “Students proposed the forum because they felt a public discussion on health care would benefit the community and serve as a good platform from which to educate local citizens on these complex issues. Because the students are responsible for planning and managing the event, it will also be an great professional development and networking opportunity for them.”

“Our goal is to host an event that is relevant, timely, and representative of real-world issues that have national, state, and local implications,” added Kristen Brasher, a senior at IUPUC who is president of the student society.

The Commons is a community gathering space located at 300 Washington Street in Columbus, Indiana. There is no cost to attend and light refreshments will be served.

For more information, contact Brewer at rybrewer@iupuc.edu, or 812.348.7253.