As policy debates continue over implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the roll-out of new health insurance marketplaces, the University of Iowa will host a statewide forum in Des Moines next week to address the issues at the heart of health care reform.

Rebalancing Health Care in the Heartland, the sixth in an ongoing series of forums designed to support Iowa policymakers in their efforts to improve health care for Iowans, will focus on public-private sector strategies and the impact of the ACA on business. The conference, which will take place Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Embassy Suites in Des Moines, will feature nationally known speakers and a debate facilitated by the UI’s A. Craig Baird Debate Forum.

“I can’t imagine a more critical or timely moment to engage in this discussion,” says Christopher Atchison, associate dean for public health practice in the UI College of Public Health and director of the State Hygienic Laboratory at the UI. “Between vigorous debates at the national level reform and the very practical and ongoing changes in Iowa’s health care system there is no area of public policy with more impact on all of our lives.”

“The Rebalancing Healthcare conferences have become the place where Iowans come together to objectively determine the best course of action by the legislature and our health care leadership.”

The event will include featured remarks from Alan Weil, executive director of the National Academy for State Health Policy, and a keynote address by G. William Hoagland, senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

“The University of Iowa, led by its Health Sciences Policy Council, is proud to be the organizer of these discussions,” says Atchison. “As a publicly supported academic institution, the UI is uniquely positioned to provide a nonpartisan forum for the consideration of issues of public interest and concern.”

Key state policy leaders are also expected to attend the event, including scheduled legislative responses from Dave Heaton, Iowa State representative, and Amanda Ragan, Iowa State senator. Jennifer Vermeer, director of Iowa Medicaid, is also part of the conference program.

Registration is $125 for the general public and $40 for students. Those interested can register here.

Rebalancing Health Care in the Heartland 6 is sponsored by the University of Iowa Health Sciences Colleges, including the College of Dentistry, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health, and Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine; Hardin Library for Health Sciences, State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Public Policy Center, Prevention of Disabilities Policy Council, UI Healthier Workforce Center for Excellence, and the Partnership for Better Health.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. For more information or if you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, contact Shari Heick in advance at 319-335-4455 or shari-heick@uiowa.edu.