An informational local town hall meeting on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is at 6 p.m. Monday at the auditorium of the old Thomas County Middle School, 200 N. Pinetree Blvd.

The  event is open to southwest Georgia residents interested in learning more about the ACA and what it offers individuals and their families in health-care coverage options.

The program is designed to educate people about the ACA, not to debate.

Members of the Georgia House Democrats, including Stacey Y. Abrams, will travel from Atlanta to Thomasville to speak at the meeting.

Abrams serves as House minority leader for the Georgia General Assembly and as state representative for the 89th House District. She is a graduate of Spelman College, the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and Yale Law School.

She will moderate a question-and-answer session during the event. There also will be ACA-specific literature available.

Open enrollment within the Affordable Care Act, also referred to as Obamacare, took effect Oct. 1. Every state has access to either its own state-run exchange, the federally run exchange, or both.

Said Marty Haythorn, a local business owner and president of the Thomas County Democratic Party, “I am excited about the upcoming town hall meeting happening in Thomasville. I think quite a few residents of south Georgia and north Florida are very interested in hearing more details about the health-care options which are available to the public. While a wealth of information can be found at healthcare.gov, this gathering presents a unique opportunity for interested parties to speak directly with ACA experts in person. I expect a full house on (Monday,)”

There is no charge for the ACA town hall meeting, sponsored in conjunction with the Thomas County Democratic Party.

For more information call the Thomas County Democratic Party office at 393-6503 or send an e-mail to tcdpsecretary@gmail.com.