NCSL Task Force on Federal Health Reform Implementation - Meetings and Resources 

Latest Meeting: Saturday, May 4, 2013 with NCSL Spring Forum in Denver

Next Meeting: Monday, August 12, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, just prior to NCSL Legislative Summit.   [Times subject to confirmation]

5th Meeting:  Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012 at NCSL Fall Forum, Washington, D.C.

(Met Jointly with the NCSL Standing Committee on Health)

Major provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are slated to “go live” in just 12 months.  States’ responses vary widely. Many have implemented early parts of the law, while many others deferred decisions or expressed opposition during 2012. The Task Force sessions examine the latest news from Washington and latest intelligence from states. 

Presiding: Co-Chairs, NCSL Task Force on Federal Health Reform Implementation [Co-Chair and Panelist Biographies ]  (PDF file-3 pages)

• Assemblyman Herb Conaway, New Jersey State Assembly; Chair, Assembly Health & Senior Services Committee; Vice-Chair, State Government Committee
• Representative Greg Wren, Alabama House; Chair, Permanent Joint Legislative Committee on Medicaid Policy; Vice-Chair, AL House Insurance Committee; Member, NCSL Executive Committee.

    Multi-State Health Plans in Health Benefit Exchanges

• Speaker: John O'Brien, Director of Health Care and Insurance, Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Washington, D.C. [Biography]

Additional health sessions were held December 4-7 at Fall Forum.
 
For Task Force information please email.     [updated December 8, 2012]

ARCHIVES
2011 NCSL Fall Forum, Nov. 30, 2011

Tampa, Florida

Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011              
AGENDA  (with updated links and audio, 12/7/2011)

NCSL TASK FORCE ON FEDERAL HEALTH REFORM IMPLEMENTATION/NCSL STANDING COMMITTEE ON HEALTH

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

NCSL TASK FORCE ON FEDERAL HEALTH REFORM

AUDIO RECORDING ONLINE (Total 4 hours, 49 minutes) Requires a media player on a smart phone or installed on your computer.
The list of presenters, below, now has highlighted time cues so you can listen to one topic or one speaker.   You may click on each speaker’s slides while the audio plays, or just print material for future use.

10:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.

Welcome and Introductory Remarks  - Audio cue at 0:00

Presiding - NCSL Task Force on Federal Health Reform Implementation Co-Chairs:  [Co-Chair Biographies]

• Assemblyman Herb Conaway, New Jersey

• Representative Greg Wren, Alabama

Update:  NCSL State Actions on Health Reform Database 

• Martha Salazar, Policy Associate, NCSL  [Slide Presentation] - Audio cue at 0:5:15

10:10 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - Health Provider Panel  [Speaker Biographies] - Audio 0:10:00

This session features a private sector panel to discuss how health insurers, hospitals and community health centers are preparing for their participation in the new health benefit exchanges.

• Dianne Bricker, Regional Director for State Affairs, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), Washington, D.C. [Slide Presentation] - Audio 0:12:10

• Debi Tucker, J.D.,  Director, State  Issues Forum, American Hospital Association (AHA),  Washington, D.C. [Slide Presentation] - Audio 0:23:15

• Roger Schwartz, J.D., Executive Branch Liaison, Associate Vice President, National Association of Community Health Centers, (NACHC)Washington, D.C. [Slide Presentation] - Audio 0:36:15

11:10 a.m. - 11:40 a.m.

Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans:  Hitting the Ground Running in 2014  [Speaker Biographies]

American Health Benefit Exchanges will become operational in 2014. How can quality and efficient management of health plans be assured? What role does accreditation play? This session will review the role of accreditation in the delivery of high quality health care by Qualified Health Plans in Health Benefit Exchanges.

• Christine Leyden, RN, Senior V-P and Chief Accreditation Officer, Utilization Review Accreditation Committee (URAC), Washington, D.C.  [Slide Presentation] - Audio 1:09:00

• Paul Cotton, Director of Federal Affairs, National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), Washington, DC.  [Slide Presentation] - Audio 1:18:00

11:40 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

“Implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: 2012 Preview”

January 1, 2014 is just around the bend. What’s ahead in 2012? This panel of key staff from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will give a preview of the next steps on implementing major provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

HHS Panel:

• Paul Dioguardi, Director, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. - Audio 1:38:45

• Steve Larsen, Deputy Administrator and Director, Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland - Audio 1:42:30

• Cindy Mann, Deputy Administrator and Director, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. - Audio 1:59:05

• HHS Handout: State Exchange Implementation Questions and Answers [Q & A Online]

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

JOINT MEETING: NCSL TASK FORCE ON HEALTH REFORM IMPLEMENTATION AND NCSL STANDING COMMITTEE ON HEALTH

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The Affordable Care Act and the U.S. Supreme Court: Issues and Implications

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the constitutional challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act next spring. This session will review the key issues before the court.

Speaker:

• Mark B. Seidenfeld, J.D., Patricia A. Dore Professor of Administrative Law, Florida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida   [Slide Presentation] - Audio 2:52:35

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

American Health Benefit Exchanges in the States: Member Roundtable Discussion - Audio 4:00:30

The 2012 legislative session is the last opportunity for states to pass enabling legislation for a state operated American Health Benefit Exchanges authorized in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in time for the January 1, 2014 effective date. In addition, the last few dates to apply for and receive federal funds to help with the establishment of the exchanges are near. What is happening in the states? What information do legislators need to move forward? What does the landscape look like for 2012 and beyond? These questions and others will be explored during this roundtable discussion.

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p. m.

Budget Update

This session will briefly review the current status of the regular FY 2012 appropriations for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and future budget issues in light of the failure of the “Super Committee” to reach an agreement on a deficit reduction plan. Following the budget update, Carolyn Yocom, Director of the Health Team for the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), will discuss the recently published GAO report on countercyclical assistance and the Medicaid program.

Speaker:

• Carolyn Yocom,  Director, Health Care Team, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), Washington, D.C.  [Slide Presentation] -Audio 4:31:00

Other Fall Forum Health Activities 

Health Reform Options: Private Health Exchanges

What role might private health exchanges play in the new world of state health exchanges?  This session will review some of the early thinking about how private health exchanges work in the new and evolving health care system in America.

Speaker:

• Christopher Condeluci, J.D., Of Counsel, Venable LLP, Washington, D.C. [Slide Presentation] - no audio

See the archive online agenda for more Tuesday through Friday 2011 Fall Forum sessions and speakers 

Task Force Meeting Agenda with Presentations
NCSL 2011 LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

Monday, Aug. 8, 2011

NCSL Federal Health Reform Implementation Task Force Meeting

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.   Welcome and Introductions

Presiding:

• Assemblyman Herb Conaway, New Jersey; Co-Chair, NCSL Task Force on Federal Health Reform Implementation ¹

• Representative Greg Wren, Alabama; Co-Chair, NCSL Task Force on Federal Health Reform Implementation ²

Welcome: Senator Richard T. Moore, NCSL President, Massachusetts

9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. – Federal Health Reform Update

Speaker:

• Joel Ario, Director, Health Insurance Exchange Group, Center for Consumer Information and Insurance, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Maryland

10:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Health Exchange Sessions

10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – ACA Implementation: Regulatory and Timetable Challenges¹

Speakers:

• Joshua Goldberg, Health Policy and Legislative Analyst, National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Washington, D.C. [Slide Presentation]

• Neil Sullivan, Assistant Commissioner, Life and Health, New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, Trenton, New Jersey  [Slide Presentation]

11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. – Insurance Brokers, Agents, and Navigators: Issues and Roles ²

Speakers:

• Jessica Waltman, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), Virginia  [Slide Presentation]

• DeAnn Friedholm, Health Care Reform Director, Consumers Union, Austin, Texas [Slide Presentation]

11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Exchanges for Small Businesses (SHOP Act) ¹

Speakers:

• Representative David Clark, Former House Speaker (2008-2011), Utah  [Slide Presentation]

• Dan Anglin, Government Affairs Representative, Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, Denver, Colorado  [Slide Presentation]

12:30p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Health Insurance Exchanges – How to Address Churning/Unified Coverage/Basic Health Plans ²
(includes a working lunch and Wrap-up)

Speaker:

• Matthew Buettgens, Senior Research Methodologist, Urban Institute, Washington, D.C.  [Slide Presentation]