FRAMINGHAM, MA – (From Press Release) – Rep. Tom Sannicandro, (D-Ashland), will be moderating a forum, “Spotlight on Health Care: Exploring Single Payer Option” from 6:30p.m until 9:30p.m., Tuesday, July 26th, 2011 in the Forum Room of the D. Justin McCarthy Center at Framingham State University, 100 State Street, Framingham, MA.

Rep. Sannicandro will moderate a four person panel featuring Senator Jamie Eldridge, the chief sponsor of single payer legislation in the Massachusetts legislature; Ben Day, the executive director of Mass-Care, a single payer advocacy organization; Dr. Gerald Friedman, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst; and Alex Robbins, a small business owner.

In advance of the forum, Tom will be accepting questions from the public via his Twitter account, @TSannicandro

Other “tweets” on the subject of Single Payer Health Care in Massachusetts can be found by searching Twitter for the hash-tag, #MASinglePayer.

Some of the questions that have already been asked, (via Twitter), include:

• U support bringing disabled into the community. Would single payer lead to an institutionalization approach?

• What effects would single payer have on prescription drug costs?

• How will decisions about medical care be made under single payer?

• What would be the average cost per person with a single payer system?

• What impact would single payer have on small and medium sized businesses?

• Would there be an administrating insurance company like in VT?

In his press release, Rep. Sannicandro noted that the State of Vermont has recently passed single payer health care legislation, and added, “It could present a clear way to provide quality coverage, control costs, and make Massachusetts more attractive to business.”

In the same press release, Sannicandro noted, “Skyrocketing health care costs are burdening our businesses, especially small and medium sized ones,” and went on to say, “There is a lot of discussion out there on cost containment strategies but I haven’t heard a lot of talk about single payer.”

NOTE: Questions for the forum may also be submitted via more traditional methods like email and phone using the contact info on Tom’s website.

For additional information about the forum, contact Office of Rep. Tom Sannicandro, Room 472, State House,  Boston, MA 02133-1053, or by phone at (617) 722-2013, or visit Tom’s website at: www.TomWorksForUs.com

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