Students, faculty, staff and Oxford community members are invited to attend a public forum discussing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act this evening at 6 p.m. in the Overby Center.
Melissa Bass, assistant professor of public policy leadership, will lead the discussion.
“There is a lot of confusion about the what Affordable Care Act includes and what its consequences are,” Bass said. “Health care affects everyone, so it’s important that people understand how it affects them and others.”
The Affordable Care Act is a federal law regarding health insurance implemented by President Barack Obama in 2010. The health care policy has been effective for more than three years; however, its most significant changes will take effect by Jan. 1, 2014.
The idea for the public forum came from the Division of Outreach and Continuing Education, according to Bass. She also believes that the media attention on the opening of insurance exchanges and the cancellation of plans noncompliant with the Affordable Care Act were probably reasons that sparked the Division of Outreach to want to sponsor the event.
Bass hopes that by leading a panel on the subject, Ole Miss can carry out one of its main purposes: to gain and share knowledge while encouraging critical thinking.
“Knowing the facts about any major policy is important, and in discussions of the Affordable Care Act, the facts often seem to get lost,” Bass said. “From there people can make up their own mind about whether they support the policy or not, or what kinds of changes they’d like to see made to it.”
The forum is open to the public and will begin at 6 p.m. in the Overby Center located in Farley Hall.
— Caty Cambron
thedmnews@gmail.com
