Health related Web-Assisted Audioconferences for 2008 are listed on this page as information becomes available. Please check back if you do not see an event that you are interested in, as the page is updated frequently. To view or register for other NCSL web events click here.
October 17: Innovations in Health Policy: Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opiate Addiction
October 31: Innovations in Health Policy: Hospital-Acquired Infections
November 14: Innovations in Health Policy: Using Cafeteria Plans to Foster Health Insurance Coverage for Workers
November 21: Innovations in Health Policy: Retail Clinics and Healthcare Workforce
Sign up for a series of webinars that will explore four hot topics in state health policy. Learn from national experts and state officials about medication-assisted treatment for addictions, hospital-acquired infections, employer cafeteria plans and retail clinics. Find out the latest trends and discuss opportunities and challenges for states. The sessions are sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through NCSL's Critical Health Areas Project (CHAP).
Oct. 17 | Oct. 31 | Nov. 14 | Nov. 21
#1 Innovations in Health Policy:
Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opiate Addiction
This webinar provided an overview of medication-assisted treatment for opiate addiction (MAT), state actions and policies regarding MAT, and the public financing of that treatment. Dr. Vocci provided an overview of medication-assisted treatment for opiate addiction. Mr. Allen discussed the state actions and policies regarding MAT and the public financing of MAT in Washington State.
- Moderator: Texas Representative Jerry Madden
- Frank Vocci, Ph.D., Director, Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- Doug Allen, Director, Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse (DASA), Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
#2 Innovations in Health Policy:
Hospital-Acquired Infections
Hospital-acquired infections kill nearly 100,000 people each year and cost an extra $6.5 billion to treat. States continue to act to reduce the number of these deadly infections plaguing hospitals. Over half have enacted laws mandating hospitals to report cases of infections acquired during a patient's stay. A handful of states have gone beyond reporting and are enacting laws that require hospitals to implement certain infection control plans.
Speakers discussed what we have learned from reporting, how data from reporting laws is interpreted, and the challenges and opportunities for states adopting various approaches.
- Moderator: Anna Wolke
Policy Associate
NCSL
- Stephen Weber, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director, Infection Control Program
University of Chicago Medical Center
- Catherine Rebmann, MPH
National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Implementation Team, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
#3 Innovations in Health Policy:
Using Cafeteria Plans to Foster Health Insurance Coverage for Workers
In the past three years a dozen states have authorized use of so-called "cafeteria plans" as a way to achieve affordable employer-related health insurance coverage. States like Rhode Island and Washington hope to provide a relatively painless choice for smaller employers and a 40 percent tax advantage for some employees. Hear a few experts explain how it is done.
- Richard Cauchi, Program Director, NCSL Health Program, Denver
- Edward Neuschler, Senior Program Officer at the Institute for Health Policy Solutions (IHPS)
#4 Innovations in Health Policy:
Retail Clinics and the Health Care Workforce
With close to 1000 retail-based clinics across the country, their rapid development has spurred debates about quality, access and the roles of various health care professionals. A number of states have enacted or considered legislation focused on these clinics. Speakers will offer their state's approach to retail-based clinics, how they arrived there, and why it's important.
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