Health Action 2006: Tentative Conference Schedule

---

Opening Plenary: With a Little Help from Our Friends . . .
In an era when poor people are asked to pay more for health care so they have “skin in the game,” when the unfettered marketplace is seen as the best way to regulate delivery of health care, and when tax cuts for the rich trump everything, what hope is there for weary health care advocates? A prominent member of the U.S. Senate will share her views about the prospects for health care legislation in the coming year, and a respected scholar will describe the downside of so-called “consumer-driven” health care.

• Presenters:
  Senator Debbie Stabenow, MI
  Mila Kofman, Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
• Moderator:
  Ron Pollack, Families USA

Luncheon Plenary: The Long and the Short of It - Seeking Health Coverage for All
The second-longest serving member in the history of the Congress has
introduced a universal health coverage bill every year since he was sworn in—following the tradition of his father. Representative Dingell will tell us how he keeps his eyes on the prize, working for short-term victories while continuing to push for the long term.

• Presenter:
  Representative John Dingell, MI
• Moderator:
  Ron Pollack, Families USA

Plenary: Covering All Kids: We Can Do It
In the 1960s, proponents of universal coverage regrouped and set an interim goal of gaining expanded coverage for senior citizens. Four decades after the enactment of Medicare, can we build on the successes of Medicaid and SCHIP to take the next big step—ensuring coverage for all children?

• Presenters:
  Governor Rod Blagojevich, IL
  Bill McInturff, Public Opinion Strategies
  Tamara Copeland, Voices for America's Children
• Moderator:
  Ron Pollack, Families USA

Plenary: Faith, Justice, and Health Care Reform
Representatives of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish faiths will explore the relationship between religious belief and social justice, particularly as it relates to health care.

• Presenters:
  Barbara Baylor, United Church of Christ
  John L. Carr, Dept. of Social Development & World Peace, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
  Rabbi David Saperstein, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
• Moderator:
  Rev. Linda Walling, Universal Health Care Action Network

Plenary: Building a Progressive Agenda
A respected columnist who has written about how progressives can regain the initiative will tell us why he believes we need to develop a broad, positive vision to provide the context for our efforts.

• Presenter:
  E.J. Dionne, Syndicated Columnist
• Moderator:
  Ron Pollack, Families USA

Plenary: Health Care and Elephants: Framing Our Messages for Success
Noted linguist and author of Don’t Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate—The Essential Guide for Progressives, will help us understand how we can talk about health care in ways that connect with the public and improve our chances of winning.

• Presenter:
  George Lakoff, Rockridge Institute
• Moderator:
  Robert Crittenden, Harborview Medical Center, WA

Special Presentation: Attention, Wal-Mart Shoppers . . .
Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the world, has drawn fire recently for its failure to provide adequate benefits to its workers. We’ll view a segment of the documentary film, “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price” and then hear from advocates who are fighting to level the playing field and make big employers be responsible members of the community.

• Presenters:
  Kate Killer, United Food and Commercial Workers
  JoAnn Volk, AFL-CIO
• Moderator:
  Kathleen Stoll, Families USA

Plenary A: Making the Medicare Drug Benefit Work for Low-Income Beneficiaries
Despite the many weaknesses of the Medicare Part D drug benefit, the low-income subsidy program presents a real opportunity to extend prescription drug coverage to seniors and people with disabilities who need it most. However, enrollment in this benefit has so far been slow. Come join a top Social Security Administration official and leading Medicare consumer advocate for a facilitated, problem-solving oriented discussion about how to assure that every eligible Medicare beneficiary gets this “extra help.”

• Presenters:
  Bea Disman, Social Security Administration
  Vicki Gottlich, Center for Medicare Advocacy
• Moderator:
  Ellen Leitzer, Health Assistance Partnership

Plenary B: Medicaid: And the Fight Goes On . . .
Last year we waged the fight of our lives to prevent potentially fatal cuts to Medicaid. And the fight still isn’t over. This year, we’ll follow closely the progress of the Medicaid Commission and wage a continuing battle at both the federal and state level to maintain the integrity of the Medicaid program.

• Presenters:
  Gwen Gillenwater, American Association of People with Disabilities
  Rachel Klein, Families USA
• Moderator:
  Lena O'Rourke, Families USA

Luncheon Closing Plenary: Stand Up and Speak Out

• Presenter:
  Representative Artur Davis, AL
• Moderator:
  Ron Pollack, Families USA