Question/answer online chat about US health care reforms

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Catherine Knowles, the director of policy for C3, sent this notice to advocates yesterday:
Have questions about the new health care reform law? The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is hosting a live online Q&A session Wednesday evening. It starts tomorrow Wednesday March 31st, at 7:00 PM EDT at http://www.HealthReform.gov.
You can email your questions in advance to Healthreform@hhs.gov.
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From: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services <subscriptions@hhs.gov>
Date: Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 10:19 AM
Subject: Get Answers To Your Health Reform Questions

To help everyone better understand the new health reform law, we are holding a live online Q&A session. It starts tomorrow evening, Wednesday March 31st, at 7:00 PM EST at http://www.HealthReform.gov.

A lot of people have questions about this comprehensive and complicated legislation.

This will be the first in a series of weekly webcasts and discussions we here at the Department of Health and Human Services will hold with you, the American people, as we work to implement this new law and ensure health security for Americans who have, until the passage of this bill, been paying more and more for health care and getting less and less in return.

* Did you know that many small businesses qualify now for tax credits that will help them afford coverage for their workers? Karen Mills from the Small Business Administration will join me this Wednesday to talk about benefits for business owners.

* Are you a senior worried about hitting the prescription drug donut hole? You may be entitled to a rebate check this year.

* Do you have a child with a pre-existing condition or about to graduate from college? Get the details about how health reform helps our Nation’s kids.

We want to hear from you. Email your questions in advance to Healthreform@hhs.gov. We will try to get to as many of them as we can during the web chat and answer more via the healthreform.gov site afterwards.

As the President told me recently, we have a solemn responsibility to make sure health reform is implemented carefully and effectively. And we have an equal responsibility to make sure Americans know what changes are coming and how to take advantage of these new benefits.

So I hope you’ll send in your questions and join Small Business Administrator Karen Mills and me at http://www.HealthReform.gov Wednesday night, at 7:00 PM EST for an online conversation about the new health insurance reform law and what’s in it for you.

Our health insurance system wasn’t broken in a day. And it won’t be fixed in a day either. It’s going to take a lot of work.

But the good news is that, after decades of talking about the need for these changes, that work is finally beginning and we want you to be a part of our efforts.

Thank you for your interest,

Kathleen Sebelius
Secretary of Health and Human Services
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