The 17th Annual Public Health Policy Forum Health Care Reform

PROGRAM

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law in 2010. The focus of the law was to provide better and more affordable health insurance coverage for all. This includes expanding access to health insurance to over 30 million Americans and lowering Medicare spending. Soon after the passage of the bill, many states filed lawsuits. One of these lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the law is now before the Supreme Court where oral arguments were heard in March, 2012. How will the Supreme Court's ruling affect PPACA? How is payment reform in Massachusetts related to national health care reform? What is the future of national health care reform? Join us for a discussion of the latest issues.

PANELISTS

Stuart Altman, PhD, is the Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy at Brandeis University. He is an economist whose research interests are primarily in the area of federal and state health policy. Among his many professional achievements, he served 12 years as Chairman of the congressionally legislated Prospective Payment Assessment Commission (ProPac) formed to advise Congress and the Administration on the functioning of the Medicare Diagnostic Related Group (DRG) Hospital Payment System and other system reforms. He is also Chair of The Health Industry Forum which brings together diverse group leaders from across the health care field to develop solutions for critical problems facing the healthcare system.

JudyAnn Bigby, MD, is Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She oversees 17 state agencies and serves in the Cabinet of Governor Deval Patrick. One of Secretary Bigby's top priorities is ensuring the state delivers high-quality and accessible services to Massachusetts residents. Prior to becoming Secretary, she was medical director of Community Health Programs at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Donald Berwick, MD, (Invited) is the former President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, an organization he co-founded and led for over 20 years. In July 2010, President Obama appointed Dr. Berwick to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a position he held until December 2011. A pediatrician by background, Dr. Berwick has served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Berwick served two terms on the Institute of Medicine's (IOM's) governing Council, was a member of the IOM's Global Health Board, and served on President Clinton's Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Healthcare Industry.

MODERATOR: Michael Dukakis was born in Brookline and began his political career as an elected Town Meeting member. He was elected chairman of the Town's Democratic organization in 1960 and won a seat in the Massachusetts Legislature in 1962. He was elected Governor of Massachusetts in 1974, and served again from 1983 until 1991. Since June 1991, Dukakis has been Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Northeastern University and Visiting Professor at The School of Public Policy at UCLA. His research has focused on national health care policy reform and the lessons that national policy-makers can learn from state reform efforts.