Democratic federal lawmakers Senator John F. Kerry and Congressman John W. Olver will attend a public hearing at Amherst Middle School, Amherst, MA on Tuesday, April 17th, from 10:00am to 12:30pm to hear consumers, advocates and health care providers present their concerns about the current health care crisis. Those testifying will deliver messages expressing the desire for a new approach to health care that seeks universal care, not profit care.

Other issues to be addresses include: the need for a federal standard to insure access to affordable prescription drugs in the United States; senior-citizen access to lower priced prescription drugs in Canada; demand for a Medicare prescription drug benefit for seniors and the disabled; and the need for health care coverage for 45 million uninsured and under-insured Americans.

"Prescription drugs are becoming less affordable to seniors throughout the United States. The rising costs of medication, as well as health care in general, are becoming a national crisis. I look forward to hearing from the people of Western Massachusetts who will share their own personal experiences with me, to help emphasize that affordable health care should be a congressional priority. I thank the organizers and sponsors of this event for inviting me to Amherst. I hope to share their compelling testimony with my colleagues in the U.S. Senate, and convince them that we desperately need an affordable prescription drug program in this country." — John F. Kerry

The event is being organized by Mass. Senior Action, a statewide coalition of senior citizen advocates, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). MNA Board member Sandy Eaton, RN will be presenting testimony on behalf of the MNA. Other co-sponsors include Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Jobs for Justice, the Pioneer Valley Labor Council, the Western Massachusetts Councils on Aging, and the Amherst Council on Aging and AHEC/Community Partners.