Health care forums to be rescheduled

Among the many casualties of the weekend’s overhyped snowstorm was the all-day, multisite “Tough Choices” health care discussion sponsored by the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance. Originally scheduled for Saturday at sites in Bangor, Augusta and South Portland, the event first was postponed until Sunday and then called off altogether late Friday night.

The Tough Choices forums will be rescheduled for later this year.

The decision to cancel the complex, high-tech event, which has been months in the planning, was based on the Maine Emergency Management Agency’s “grave concerns about the weather conditions this weekend,” according to an e-mail notice from the governor’s office.

“Because people will be traveling long distances in very bad weather, we’ve had to make this decision,” Gov. John Baldacci said.

Like a large-scale focus group, Tough Choices is intended to bring together Maine residents to discuss and help guide the future of health care. The three sites will be electronically linked and facilitated from the Augusta site.

From an initial random mailing of about 25,000 invitations, about 1,200 delegates from all regions of the state have been chosen to represent a diversity of age, profession, gender, health needs and education. Participants will discuss and then vote on a number of issues affecting the cost, quality and availability of health care services.

Policy-makers will use voting results to guide the creation of a statewide health plan.

– BDN reporter Meg Haskell