 2012 Fiscal Analysts Seminar
Utah State Capitol
Salt Lake City, Utah
August 29-31, 2012
When registering please select one track: Medicaid, Crime and Corrections or Tax and Revenue.
Preliminary Agenda as of June 6, 2012 (subject to change)
Wednesday | Thursday | Friday
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Wednesday, August 29
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12:30 pm - 5:30 pm
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Registration
(UTA bus 500 departs from the Marriott Downtown to the Capitol every 15 minutes)
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2:30 pm - 2:45 pm
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Welcome and opening remarks
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2:45 pm - 4:00 pm
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Federal Budget Update
Sequestration, deficit reduction, unfinished appropriations, federal taxes, debt ceiling-credit ratings, tax extenders, reauthorizations, pensions and tax-exempt financing. Learn how federal action-most likely in the fall-on any of these issues will have major fiscal implications for states and how various state strategies will affect the future of federalism.
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4:15 pm - 5:30 pm
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Budgeting for Personnel
How do states budget for personnel services and employee benefits (including vacant positions)? This session will address this question and more as a panel of experts from across the states discuss their methods for budgeting for full-time equivalents.
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5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
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Reception at the Marriott Downtown
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Thursday, August 30
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7:30 am - 8:30 pm
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Continental Breakfast
(UTA bus 500 departs from the Marriott Downtown to the Capitol every 15 minutes)
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8:30 am - 10:00 am
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Track 1, Medicaid
Forecasting for the Future: Medicaid Budgets under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
The ACA includes many provisions that fundamentally change Medicaid. This session will examine two of these changes: the eligibility expansion that will result in differing FMAP rates across the various Medicaid populations and the requirement that states use modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) for determining eligibility.
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8:30 am - 10:00 am
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Track 2, Crime & Corrections
The Price of Prisons
Persistent fiscal challenges have prompted greater scrutiny of government spending, including corrections expenditures. While corrections departments pay the vast majority of costs for state prisons, other departments pay related expenses, such as employee benefits, capital costs and hospital care for inmates. This session will present the results of a recent Vera Institute of Justice survey on the full cost of prisons and explore the variations in states’ corrections budgets.
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8:30 am - 10:00 am
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Track 3, Tax & Revenue
Tax Expenditures
States spend billions of dollars annually on tax incentives for economic development by offering businesses credits, exemptions and deductions to businesses to locate, hire, expand and invest within their borders. But it remains unclear if these incentives deliver a strong return on public investment.
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10:15 am - 11:45 am
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Track 1 and Track 3, Medicaid and Tax & Revenue (joint session)
Health Care Provider Taxes and Fees
Policymakers who are looking to attract more federal money into their state Medicaid programs are partnering with health care providers and managed care providers to increase the size of the Medicaid “pie” through the use of provider fees and taxes. This session will focus on this practice and what it means for the health care industry and for the state/federal partnership.
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10:15 am - 11:45 am
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Track 2, Crime & Corrections
Justice Reinvestment
Successful corrections and sentencing policies save money and reduce recidivism. In recent years, a number of states have used a “justice reinvestment” approach to lower prison populations and invest savings in strategies that increase public safety and hold offenders accountable. Learn about the four steps of justice reinvestment and how it has helped states manage corrections expenditures, generate savings and increase the effectiveness of offender supervision.
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11:45 am - 1:00 pm
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Working Lunch—Research Methods: Tips, Tricks and Common Pitfalls
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1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
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Track 1, Medicaid
Medicaid Roundtable
Share and discuss activities in your state.
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1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
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Track 2, Crime & Corrections
Roundtable Discussion: Measuring Recidivism
Share and discuss activities in your state.
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1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
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Track 3, Tax & Revenue
Roundtable on Tax Trends
Share and discuss activities in your state.
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2:45 pm - 4:15 pm
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Track 1, Medicaid
Medicaid Managed Care
Nationally, about 66 percent of all Medicaid beneficiaries are enrolled in managed care, but the most expensive beneficiaries—the elderly and people with disabilities, who account for three quarters of Medicaid spending—are traditionally served through fee-for-service programs. As states look for ways to balance their budgets, there is increased interest in expanding managed care to these “new” populations. This session will highlight a variety of issues related to serving these populations in managed care plans, including innovative ways to improve contracting methods and to address provider network capacity.
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2:45 pm - 4:15 pm
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Track 2, Crime & Corrections
Juvenile Justice Incentive Funding
States are re-evaluating their juvenile justice systems in order to produce better outcomes for kids at reduced costs. At least half a dozen states have adopted state-local partnerships that provide “incentive funding” to localities that successfully supervise youth in the community rather than sending them to state institutions. This session will examine incentive funding policies and how they have been adapted for adult correctional populations.
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2:45 pm - 4:15 pm
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Track 3, Tax & Revenue
Revenue Forecasting: Issues and Challenges
Estimating state revenues is both an art and a science, incorporating a wide variety of factors. Technical challenges are significant. This discussion will feature a look at select state forecasting processes and offer an opportunity to discuss other state approaches to dealing with revenue volatility.
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5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
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Social Event—TBD
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Friday, August 31
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8:00 am - 9:00 am
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Continental Breakfast
(UTA bus 500 departs from the Marriott Downtown to the Capitol every 15 minutes)
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9:15 am - 11:15 am
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Results First—Targeting Resource Programs that Work
In tough fiscal times, it is important for legislatures to appropriate funds based on results. Learn about Results First, a budgeting approach that enables legislators to identify and compare the return on investment of programs funded with taxpayer money.
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11:30 am
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Fiscal Analysts Seminar Concludes
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