Former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber will be visiting Portland State today to promote his plan for reforming public heathcare.
Kitzhaber will speak at 12 p.m. in SMSU room 338. He will give a summary of his speech, “On the Road to Revolution: Fear and Loathing in the U.S. Healthcare System.” He will then respond to questions by students from the College of Urban and Public Affairs and the Associated Students of PSU.
A former emergency room surgeon who served as Oregon’s governor from 1995 to 2003, Kitzhaber made headlines recently when rumors circulated that he was pondering a run for an unprecedented third gubernatorial term. Kitzhaber announced in January that he would not contest Democrat incumbent Ted Kulongoski, but instead focus on promoting sweeping reforms to Oregon’s healthcare system.
The former governor is now executive director of the Foundation for Medical Excellence’s “Archimedes Movement,” which advocates for revisions to the national healthcare system.
Kitzhaber’s proposed changes include giving states control of millions of dollars in Medicaid and Medicare funds, and altering the way companies subsidize their employee’s health care plans.