Healthcare groups sponsor presidential forums

A coalition of diverse healthcare groups is sponsoring a series of presidential candidate forum webcasts featuring hopefuls from both parties.

{mosads} The liberal advocacy group Families USA, the Federation of American Hospitals lobbying organization and the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation have joined in the effort in the hope of getting presidential candidates to focus on healthcare issues.

Although the list of candidates committed to take part in the hour-long forums has not been released, the events will begin on Sept. 24 and go on until Nov. 16.

At the events, the candidates will present their healthcare proposals and respond to questions from PBS’s Susan Dentzer, NPR’s Julie Rovner, The Wall Street Journal’s Laurie McGinley and ABC News’s Timothy Johnson. Other media will be permitted to attend but not to address the candidates.

The three sponsoring organizations will stage a press conference on Sept. 19 to announce additional details.