WASHINGTON, DC – With health care premiums on the rise and concerns about coverage growing as well, The Ripon Society hosted a panel discussion yesterday afternoon looking at the next step in the health care debate and whether a “prescription for reform” can be found to solve the many problems the American people currently face.

The discussion featured four senior congressional staff members who are at the center of the health care policy debate. The staff members included: Sarah Arbes, Deputy Health Policy Director for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions; Katie Simeon, Health Policy Advisor for the Senate Committee on Finance; Lisa Grabert, Professional Staff Member for the House Committee on Ways & Means; and, Josh Trent, Professional Staff Member for the House Committee on Energy & Commerce.

“We appreciate Sarah, Katie, Lisa and Josh for taking time out of their busy schedules to be with us yesterday afternoon,” stated Jim Conzelman, the President & CEO of The Ripon Society. “They are four of the leading health care experts on Capitol Hill. As such, they not only understand the many problems facing America’s health care system, but are familiar with the potential solutions being discussed to fix these problems. The fact that we’re even having this discussion more than five years after the Affordable Care Act was enacted tells you that there were serious flaws with the law and the underlying bill didn’t work.

“The purpose of yesterday’s discussion was to look at the next step in the debate; to find the prescription for reform, if you will, that will provide the American people what they want and really need – namely, a health care system that controls costs, assures top quality of care, and lets them keep their doctor if that’s what they want to do.”
“The fact that we’re even having this discussion more than five years after the Affordable Care Act was enacted tells you that there were serious flaws with the law and the underlying bill didn’t work.”

“The fact that we’re even having this discussion more than five years after the Affordable Care Act was enacted tells you that there were serious flaws with the law and the underlying bill didn’t work.”

According to Conzelman, yesterday’s roundtable discussion was attended by a crowd of nearly 70 people and follows up on similar roundtable discussions The Ripon Society has held over the past few years with senior staff members from both the U.S. House and Senate. He also noted that the next Ripon Society discussion will be a September 30th breakfast meeting with Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, who, among other topics, will talk about energy, the environment, and federal overreach in his home state. The discussion with Senator Sullivan will be followed by an October 8th meeting with House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5), who will be joined by Reps. Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Mimi Walters (CA-45), and other women from the GOP freshmen class.

The Ripon Society is a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.

To view additional photos from the panel discussion, please click here.