Forums

NCHC Forums bring together thought leaders, policymakers and stakeholders for timely public discussions about the future of America’s health system. The views expressed by the speakers are their own and do not reflect the positions of the National Coalition on Health Care or NCHC Action Fund.

All Upcoming 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

SUGARY DRINKS, A PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE: USING TAX POLICY TO PROMOTE WELLNESS AND PREVENTION

10:00 AM – 11:30 AMRussell Senate Office Building, Room 485

SPEAKERS

Rachel Johnson, PhD, Professor of Nutrition and the University of Vermont Chair, Nutrition Committee, American Heart Association

Michael F. Jacobson, PhD, Executive Director, Center for Science in the Public Interest

Robert Greenstein, Founder and President, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

SUMMARY

Consumption of added sugar is one of the most significant public health hazards of our time. Research shows that excess intake of added sugar leads to considerable health, economic, and social costs. Almost half of the added sugar in the American diet is found in sugary beverages like soda, sports drinks, energy drinks (36%) and fruit drinks (11%). Reducing the consumption of sugary beverages, which typically do not satiate hunger or provide nutritional benefits, may lead to substantial gains in the health of the nation.

In an effort to achieve that goal, one policy option now under consideration is changing the relative price of sugary beverages through taxation. This forum will review the health consequences of sugary beverage consumption, explore tax policy as a mechanism for health behavior change and discuss the economic and public health benefits that could stem from a tax on sugary beverages.

SEPARATING POLITICS FROM HEALTH CARE CHOICES: KEY “PURPLE” MESSAGES FOR ALL CONSUMERS

2:30 PM – 5:00 PM The Pew Charitable Trusts Conference Center, Washington, DC

SPEAKERS

Leah Binder, Chief Executive Officer, The Leapfrog Group

Ann Boynton, Deputy Executive Officer, California Public Employees’ Retirement System

Wendy Lynch, Co-Director, Altarum Institute Center for Consumer Choice in Health Care

Jon Skinner, Professor, Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy and Clinical Practice

SUMMARY

The National Coalition on Health Care and the Altarum Institute are cosponsoring a roundtable discussion on health care consumerism. The event will focus on the following three “purple,” or politically independent, themes that apply to all health care consumers:

(1) For every condition, there is always more than one treatment (or nontreatment) option.
(2) For any treatment, there can be significant variation in the safety and quality of its delivery.
(3) Within the same level of quality and safety, there can be vast differences in price.

Presenters will address the universal relevance of these three themes to improve the value and affordability of health care. By setting aside preconceived biases about consumer strategies and focusing on the value of transparency and choice, session participants will seek an acceptable platform on which to build support for consumer involvement.

AFTER THE SGR: BUILDING A TRANSFORMED PAYMENT AND DELIVERY SYSTEM

10:00 AM – 11:30 AMWest Health Policy Center, 1909 K St NW, Suite 730, Washington, DC 20006

SPEAKERS

Blair Childs, Senior Vice President, Premier

R. Shawn Martin, Vice President for Policy and Practice Advancement, American Academy of Family Physicians

Kim Allan Williams, MD, Vice President, Board of Directors, American College of Cardiology

SUMMARY

Could 2013 be the year? A consensus is emerging in Washington that this is the year to put the annual threat of SGR-driven Medicare provider cuts behind us. More importantly, the medical community, key Committees in Congress, the Obama administration and the broader stakeholder community are uniting around the idea that repeal of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula must be paired with policy changes that moves from today’s volume-based reimbursement toward an approach that supports better care at lower cost.

At this NCHC Forum, you’ll hear from three leaders at the center of this exciting debate. They will share the perspectives of family practitioners, an innovative medical specialty organization and the nation’s leading hospitals on this year’s opportunities and the future of health care delivery and payment policy.

IMPROVING PATIENT QUALITY OF LIFE: THE ROLE OF PALLIATIVE CARE

2:30 PM – 4:00 PM ESTRayburn House Office Building, Room 2168

SPEAKERS

Host: United States Representative Eliot Engel

Amy Berman, RN, Senior Program Officer, The John A. Hartford Foundation; living with stage IV breast cancer

Diane Meier, MD, Director, Center to Advance Palliative Care, Mt. Sinai Medical Center

Sean Morrison, MD, Director, Lilian and Benjamin Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute, and Director, National Palliative Care Research Center, Mt. Sinai Medical Center

SUMMARY

Palliative care provides an extra layer of support for people of any age and at any stage of a serious disease such as cancer, and can be provided alongside curative treatment. Palliative care relies on interdisciplinary teams of providers to coordinate and deliver care- centered on the patients’ needs and preferences. It focuses on treating the disease while also ensuring the best possible quality of life for the patient. Research demonstrates that palliative care can improve outcomes and improve patient satisfaction, but too often patients are not offered the choice to pursue palliative care. This forum will address the barriers to broader access to palliative care and explore what health care stakeholders and policymakers can do to address them.