Health Action 2007 Tentative Workshop Schedule

Thursday, January 25

Workshops I
10:45am-12:15pm

The Brave New World of State Medicaid Reform
Some states are making or proposing big changes to their Medicaid programs. Many of these changes come in the wake of the DRA's passage and use the benchmark benefit package and increased cost-sharing options. Find out what some states are doing, and what others may be facing in the upcoming year and beyond.

A Pound of Flesh—Surviving Medical Debt
More and more people have limited coverage and high-deductible health plans. How has this contributed to medical debt? How can you win consumer-friendly hospital billing laws and help people facing medical debt?

The Latest State Expansions: VT and MA
This year, laws passed in Vermont and Massachusetts will significantly expand health coverage, using a combination of Medicaid expansions and private insurance reforms. Talk with leaders in those states about the expansions they won, how their new laws are being implemented, and what aspects they would and wouldn’t urge other states to adopt.

Seeking Solutions: State Efforts to Reduce Health Disparities
While the federal government has made eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities a national priority, a number of states have stepped up and are addressing this issue in various ways. Come hear from long-time state advocates, as well as advocates in "new growth states" about the opportunities and challenges of addressing disparities at the state-level. Topics covered will include legislation and advocacy efforts, and how to garner support for minority health in your state.

Medicare Part D: Where Do We Stand? Where Are We Going?
The first year of the Medicare Part D drug benefit has taken us down a long and bumpy road. Come get a better understanding of the drug benefit we have, and how to build the drug benefit we want.

Web 2.0: How It Could Totally Change Your Life (Or At Least Help Your Advocacy)
Over the past couple of years, a new crop of (mostly free) online tools has been changing the face of the Web. These tools have become known collectively as “Web 2.0” and they are also changing the face of online politics and advocacy. Learn how the pros are using these tools to spread the progressive message.

Messaging 101
Enhance your capacity to get your message noticed by the media. Learn how to craft creative and effective messages. This workshop focuses on the importance of producing a values message that describes your issue and resonates with the public.

SCHIP Reauthorization: A View From the Hill
This year Congress must renew the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Hear from key staff on Capitol Hill about what we expect from the House and Senate during the reauthorization process.

Finding Your Way Through the Maze of the Citizenship Documentation Requirement
The Deficit Reduction Act requires states to verify the citizenship and identity of all Medicaid recipients and applicants. Implementation of the requirement is underway in most states. This workshop will detail some of the best strategies states have developed to alleviate the burden on clients, describe methods to track the requirement's impact on enrollment, and provide further information about pending court cases challenging the requirement.

Consumers and Quality: What's the Connection?
Consumers and state consumer groups are playing an increasingly important role in quality improvement and patient safety. This workshop will give an overview of how consumers can think about healthcare quality and ways in which they can constructively engage and advocate for quality improvement. Learn about three state-based consumer-led quality improvement efforts: Consumers Union's Stop Hospital Infections Campaign, the National Partnership for Women and Families' work with consumer advocacy organizations in states, and Health Care for All's new Consumer Health Quality Initiative.

Private Insurance: What State Advocates Need to Know
How can states make insurance affordable for individuals with high risk health conditions and for small businesses that include older and sicker workers? This workshop explains some of the tools that can be used by states, including rate regulation, reinsurance, and risk pools.

The Next Level: Advancing the Health Disparities Agenda
Despite myriad efforts to "close the gap" between minorities and whites, racial and ethnic health disparities continue to exist—and recent evidence suggests that some trends are getting even worse. What have been the successes of the health disparities movement, and where is there room for improvement? How should we talk about health disparities and frame the issue in a way that engages diverse stakeholders? And how can we build a health disparities movement that includes new and potentially untraditional allies? This session will look at the messages, tactics, and tools you can use to advance the health disparities agenda in your work.

Medicare Part D: Low-income Issues
A look at the implementation of the Part D subsidy for low-income beneficiaries: What went wrong? What went right? This workshop will cover the pace of enrollment and problems with redetermination. The session will also include a look at how dual eligibles are coping and a discussion of options for states to fill the gaps.

Praying for Help: How to Partner with the Faith Community
The purpose of this workshop will be four-fold: to explain why working with faith communities is an important part of health advocacy; to discuss effective strategies for working with faith communities and the tools necessary to do so; to explore the social and political dynamics of faith communities; and lastly, to better understand why now is the right time to engage faith communities.

How to Get Your Message Across in Radio
Learn how to pitch a radio producer and get yourself, or your expert, booked on a radio program. You are booked for a radio interview. What next? Radio expert, Ellen Ratner, will discuss how to use radio interviews to get your message out.

What to Expect From Congress This Year
Hear from key staff on Capitol Hill about what we can expect on major legislation this year.

Friday, January 26

It's Not All About PhRMA: NIH's Role in R&D
Panelists will talk about the need for and the process of researching for treatments and vaccines for AIDS/TB/malaria, and, in particular, the unique and essential role for research done by NIH.

Federal Threats to Health Insurance Regulation: The Bad and the Ugly
Under the guise of helping small businesses buy health insurance, the right has often proposed federal legislation that would strip away limits on how much insurers can charge in premiums, requirements that insurers offer decent benefits, and other consumer protections enacted by states. Learn what we can expect on the Hill this year, how it might affect your state, and how you can get involved.

Dispelling Myths and Reframing the Debate to Improve Immigrant Health
Contrary to popular belief, immigration rates today are not the highest they have ever been, immigrants overall pay more taxes than they consume in public services, and immigrants generally use less health care than U.S. citizens. What other myths surround immigrants and immigration? And how do these misperceptions create barriers for advocates working to improve the health and well-being of all communities? This session will discuss the facts and dispel common myths; arm advocates with the tools for combating increasing anti-immigrant sentiments; and outline strategies for framing the issue of immigrant health in a way that engages a broader audience.

Medicare's New Alphabet Soup: Mm'm Good?
Private FFS, regional PPOs, MSAs, MAs, MA-PDs and more. A dizzying array of new programs are growing within Medicare. What are they and are they good for beneficiaries?

Promoting Health Care Advocacy at the Local, State, and National Level: Foundation Perspectives
Representatives of leading local, state, and national foundations discuss their perspectives and strategies for supportinig health care advocacy and related activities, and provide insight on how advocates can best approach foundations to support various aspects of their work.

The Blogging of Health Care: An Overview of the Progressive Health Care Blogosphere
With more than 12 million bloggers and 57 million blog readers currently in the U.S., blogging is clearly here to stay. Learn how leading health care bloggers are making a splash in the ongoing debates about health care reform.

Beyond Fact Sheets: Using Humor to Spread a Policy Message
If an issue brief is sent and no one reads it, does it make a difference? Getting your message out to as many people as possible and in a memorable way makes a difference. This workshop will talk about ways to use humor to get people interested in your issue and fire them up for action. 

The Camel is in the Tent: Health Savings Accounts Come to Medicaid
A private market idea—Health Savings Accounts—have infiltrated Medicaid. As of January 2007, states may apply for a new demonstration program called "Health Opportunity Accounts." Come hear about what private market HSAs are and why they are dangerous to low-income families, and how their Medicaid counterparts work.

The Short Term Outlook for Long Term Services & Supports
This session will examine changes to long term services and supports policy in the Deficit Reducation Act of 2005 and Section 1115 Medicaid waivers, and discuss what actions states are likely to take in the coming year.

"SCHIPs" Ahoy: Planning the Next Batch of State Children's Health Insurance Programs
If you didn't get enough about SCHIP at the plenary and are dying to dive into the policy details of this program—both where it has been and where it is headed—this is the workshop for you.

Helping People Find Insurance and Protect Their Rights
Whether you are working on an organizing campaign or providing day-to-day consumer assistance, chances are that you’ve heard from many people that cannot get health insurance. Learn what laws might protect them, how to help them through appeals, and where the gaps are. This will be an interactive workshop.

From Policy to Practice: Addressing Language and Culture in Health Care
Culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) are an important aspect of providing quality health care and reducing racial and ethnic health disparities. This workshop will have a two-fold focus. First we will explore national and state legislation aimed at tackling language and cultural barriers in health care. Next, we will focus on programs and strategies that have succeeded in providing culturally competent care at the state and local level.

Don't Wait, Do Something! Steps to Take When Medicare Denies Your Claim
A number of changes have been made to Medicare appeals procedures in recent years. They affect all Parts of Medicare (A, B, C, and D). This workshop will discuss what's good and bad in the new appeals rules, as well as issues of counselor and volunteer liability.

Consumers and Electronic Health Records: Opportunities and Dangers
What are the challenges and opportunities that arise as health records become more accessible through our present technology? Experts discuss the consequences, both good and bad, involved in this rapidly evolving arena.

In Everyone's Vital Interest: Why Global Health Matters
This workshop will discuss Families USA’s new global health project, how it fits in with our mission, and what our advocates can do. The session will include a movie/documentary (e.g., Rx for Survival Documentary Series).

Expanding Children's Coverage: Soaring Rhetoric and Nagging Realities
This workshop will examine both sides of the coin in current state efforts to expand children's health coverage. Great things are happening, but the devil is in the details. We'll hear from two advocates immersed in these issues in their states and discuss the broader implications for other states looking to jump on the children's coverage expansions bandwagon.

A Tale of Two Budget Issues: Tobacco Tax Initiatives and TABOR
Many states are turning to sin taxes as a way to finance their Medicaid programs. Come hear about some successful (or not so successful) state campaigns to pass tobacco tax initiatives. We'll also talk about the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) proposals and their impact on state Medicaid financing.

Lessons from Long-Standing State Expansions: A Roundtable
Oregon and Washington were among the first states to significantly expand public coverage programs, and have managed to hold onto many of their health reforms, even through difficult budget years. Maine expanded more recently. What do advocates see as the successes of their states’ efforts? What problems have their states encountered along the way? In this informal discussion with key advocates, we’ll pose a series of questions about the strategies, politics, and accomplishments of these states.

Making the Connection: Using Policy and Advocacy to Reduce Health Disparities
Organizations working in communities of color are combating racial and ethnic health disparities on several fronts-whether through helping their communities to manage diabetes, reducing smoking rates among youth, or educating people about the disproportionate burden of disease that their communities face. In addition to direct service and education, organizations are also engaging in health policy and advocacy. But what’s policy and advocacy got to do with treating diabetes or reducing obesity? Come hear from organizations about the challenges and opportunities with incorporating policy advocacy into their work to reduce disparities.

Innovative Public Health Strategies for Reaching Women
TBD

A Prescription for Savings: Ensuring Drug Quality, Controlling Drug Prices
With health care costs spiraling out of control and prescription drugs consuming a growing portion of the health care budget, methods to control prescription drug spending are needed now more than ever. Come listen to and discuss methods for controlling pharmaceutical spending while encouraging safe, cost-effective prescribing. Strategies at both the national and state levels will be covered.