AARP Members hear from John Tanner about Health Care Reform

August 24, 2009 |

Rep. John Tanner Fields Calls During AARP Tennessee’s 1st Tele-town Hall

Jackson – During AARP Tennessee’s first tele-town hall, thousands of AARP members who live in Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District got the chance to hear directly from their congressman, U.S. Rep. John Tanner, about what’s happening with health care reform legislation.

Congressman John Tanner

“I believe the guiding principle in this debate should be this: We need to fix the parts of the health care system that are broken and keep the parts that work,” said Tanner, who plays a key role in the debate as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, during the hour-long call on Monday August 17th. “Make health care available for those [who don’t have coverage] and achieve these goals in a responsible way.”

The AARP has not endorsed any of the comprehensive bills pending before Congress but is working hard with lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle to ensure that any legislation that is passed strengthens and improves Medicare, protects our health care choices, ends discrimination by insurance companies and guarantees stable affordable coverage for all Americans.

The tele-town hall was moderated by AARP Tennessee Advocacy Director Patrick Willard. AARP has hosted several tele-town hall events in other parts of the country during the past two years, including one last month with President Obama at the national office in Washington, D.C., but this was a first for the Tennessee office.

“It was a great opportunity to allow thousands of our members to communicate directly with their congressman from the comfort of their own homes,” said AARP Tennessee State President Margot Seay, who participated in the call from her home in Kingsport.

“They’re hungry for the truth about what health care reform will mean to them, and they want to share their thoughts and concerns. We are thrilled that we could make it so easy for them to participate in this discussion in the 8th Congressional District, and look forward to hosting similar tele-town halls in other areas of the state.”

For more information about AARP’s health care reform efforts, visit www.HealthActionNow.org or www.aarp.org/tn.

About AARP

With more than 700,000 members in Tennessee, AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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