6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Registration and Reception

6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m.

Walking for Fitness (Optional)
The American Heart Association will lead a group walk (with maps available for runners). All participants are welcome. T-shirts and other daily prizes will be awarded. Meet in the Wyndham lobby.

7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Registration

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

Welcome
The Honorable Angela Monson

9:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Opening Plenary
Getting America Insured: A Bipartisan Approach
Just when it looked like the United States was making headway in reducing the number of uninsured, the economy took a nosedive and health costs started to skyrocket! As a result, the numbers of uninsured are climbing again and states continue to face the challenge of improving access to health care, by making insurance more affordable and accessible, expanding public sector programs, or providing a safety net for the uninsured.

Even though the U.S. spends more than any other industrialized nation-more than $5,400 per capita-our health outcomes are no better. And the system leaves about 40 million Americans uninsured.

As if the picture weren't bleak enough, research from prestigious sources draws the nation's attention to serious gaps and shortfalls in the quality of American health care.

This session will examine each of these three elements--cost, access and quality--and will argue that all three are inextricably linked together and that one cannot be resolved without addressing all three at the same time.

Moderator: The Honorable Angela Monson

Speaker: Henry E. Simmons, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P.
President, National Coalition on Health Care
Washington, D.C.

Legislative Respondents: The Honorable Fran Bradley, House of Representatives and Chair, Health and Human Services Policy Committee, Minnesota
The Honorable Connie L. Johnson, House of Representatives and Vice-Chair, Appropriations Health and Mental Health Committee, Missouri

11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Break
Exhibit Hall Open

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Lunch Buffet
Plenary Session: Medical Errors and Jury Awards: Facing Down a Crisis in Medical Malpractice
Rising jury awards and Wall Street's downturn are leading to a crisis in medical malpractice insurance. As liability costs skyrocket, some doctors can't get coverage at any price and others are fleeing to states where they can afford to practice. How can state lawmakers maintain their physician workforce, stabilize their malpractice marketplace and ensure that patients injured due to negligence receive fair compensation? Will lawmakers want to consider tort reforms or are there other options to address this rapidly emerging dilemma? Panelists will engage in dialogue to explore the issue and potential solutions.

Moderator: The Honorable Barbara Buckley, Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Nevada

Speakers: Rick Nauman, Vice-President, Underwriting/Marketing, Louisiana Medical Mutual Insurance Company, Louisiana
Michelle M. Mello, J.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Health Policy Law, Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, Massachusetts
Curtis Rooney, Senior Associate Director and Counsel, Federal Relations, American Hospital Association, Washington, D.C.
Mary E. Alexander, Ph.D., J.D., President, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, California

1:45 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions
Stop Treating Me Like a Child! I'm an Adult ... Almost
Adolescents have unique physical, social and cultural characteristics and developmental tasks. This session will review these characteristics and their relationship in educational success and life-long health. The session will also include a discussion about youth developmental strategies to improve the educational achievement and health status of young people.

Moderator: The Honorable Toni Harp, Senate Assistant Majority Leader and Chair, Public Health Committee, Connecticut; and Vice-Chair, NCSL Standing Committee on Health

Speaker: Claire Brindis, Associate Director, Adolescence, National Adolescent Health Information Center, California
Marilyn Lamphier, Adolescent Health Coordinator, Department of Health, Oklahoma
The Honorable Darrell Gilbert, Chair, Health Committee, House of Representatives, Oklahoma

Reining in Long-Term Care Costs While Providing Good Care: Mission Impossible?
Faced with tight state budgets, increasing consumer demands and legal requirements such as the Supreme Court's Olmstead ruling, states are revamping their long-term care systems. Building on their own experience with home- and community-based care, states are creating innovative service delivery models that enable such services to respond more quickly and flexibly to the needs of older people and people with disabilities. Come to hear experts talk about policy research and best practices in the area of long-term care.

Moderator: The Honorable Peter Batula, House of Representatives and Chair, Health Committee, New Hampshire; and Vice-Chair, NCSL Standing Committee on Health

Speakers: Sandy Newman, Policy Specialist, Family Caregiver Alliance, California
Virginia Dize, Associate Director, National Association of State Units on Aging, Washington, D.C.
Shawn Bloom, President and CEO, National Programs of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Association, Virginia

Revitalizing State Environmental Health Services: Building State Capacity to Address Threats to Air, Food, and Water
Foodborne illnesses make 76 million people sick and cause 325,000 hospitalizations in the United States each year; Asthma rates have doubled over the past 2 decades, and now cost the US more than $11 Billion per year; Nearly 50 percent of schools have been found to have problems linked to poor indoor air quality, increasing student absenteeism and asthma attacks, while decreasing the children's ability to learn. Federal and state agencies believe that the public health system must be invigorated in order to respond to these and other environmental threats to public health, especially in the event of natural disasters, accidents, or terrorism. In this session, legislators and experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will discuss the need for improving the environmental health system and how states can access funds and expertise to help with this task.

Moderator: The Honorable Donne E. Trotter, State Senate, Illinois

Speakers: Nelson Fabian, Executive Director, National Environmental Health Association, Colorado
Sharunda Buchanan, Ph.D., Chief, Health Services Branch, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia

Improving Access to Care: Community-Based Solutions
Communities around the country are finding ways to bring funding streams and health care providers together to offer more than emergency care for people without insurance. What does it take to launch such a program and keep it running? From Hillsboro to Muskegan to San Diego and Indianapolis, organizers have begun to reach out to share their formulas. Come to this session to learn about programs that work, how communities learn from one another, and what legislators can do to strengthen community-based efforts in their own states.

Moderator: The Honorable Tom Schedler, State Senate; and Chair, Health and Welfare Committee, Louisiana

Speakers: Phyllis Busansky, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, Florida
Vondi Woodbury, Project Director, Muskegon Community Health Project, Michigan
Sharon Silow-Carroll, MSW, MBA, Senior Research Manager, Economic and Social Research Institute, New Jersey

3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Break

3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions
Nursing Home Liability: The Escalating Crisis
The long-term care industry faces an increasingly tight market for liability insurance coverage. The cost of policies has skyrocketed as the number and size of liability cases and judgments grow. Insurers are beginning to pull out of the market, leaving nursing homes no option but to purchase coverage from carriers not regulated by the state. Legislators seek a balance between residents' rights and adequate protections for the long-term care industry. Tort reform and state funding for liability insurance can have enormous implications for consumers, providers and state government alike. Consumer, industry and state lawmakers will discuss what can and is being done to address these issues.

Speakers: Lyn Bodiford, State Affairs Coordinator, American Association of Retired Persons, Florida
Bob Asztalos, Director of Government Affairs, Delta Health Group, Florida

Do We Have Enough Dentists Outside Suburbia? What Can States Do?
A growing number of reports indicate a rapidly aging workforce of dentists, particularly in rural and medically underserved communities. The dentist workforce is not easily replaceable when dental schools have capped enrollments and restrictive licensing requirements limit the use of foreign trained dentists or dental hygienists. In addition, many dentists show little interest or need to provide oral health services to needy low-income people. This session will examine what effective options states have to best address these complex problems.

Moderator: Tim Henderson, Program Manager, Primary Care Resource Center, NCSL

Panelists: Jack Dillenberg, Dean, School of Dentistry and Oral Health, Arizona School of Health Sciences
The Honorable Raymond Rawson, State Senate, Nevada
Scott Leitz, Director, Health Economics Program, Department of Health, Minnesota

Screening for Cancer: Sorting Through the Maze of Recommendations
Health experts have long promoted screening as an effective measure to detect and treat many types of cancer early. Legislators have responded by endorsing cancer screening policies, both in their insurance laws and their public health programs. And while the early detection of cancer saves lives and money, new and often conflicting information is emerging on exactly which cancers have effective screening tools and who should be screened. Learn more about cancer screening and sorting through the maze of recommendations.

Moderator: The Honorable Bob Carpenter, State Senate, North Carolina

Speakers: David Atkins, M.D., M.P.H., Coordinator, Preventive Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Maryland
Durado Brooks, Director, Prostate and Colorectal Cancer, American Cancer Society, Texas

5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Reception in Exhibit Area

6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m.

Good Morning Yoga (Optional)
The Louisiana Governors' Council on Physical Fitness and Sports will lead a yoga class. Novices and experts are welcome to join us. T-shirts and other daily prizes will be awarded. An activity room will be designated and notice posted.

7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Registration

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

Breakfast Buffet

8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions
Pathways to Prevention: Effective Approaches to Address Chronic Diseases
Chronic diseases such as arthritis and cardiovascular disease are among the most prevalent, costly and preventable of all health problems today, accounting for more than 60 percent of the nation's medical care costs and one-third of the years of potential life lost before age 65. This session will explore practical and effective interventions and review policies that state legislatures are developing to reduce the health and economic burden of chronic disease.

Janis Borton: Program Manager, Health Services, Prevention Projects, NCSL

Speakers: John M. Clymer, President, Partnership for Prevention, Washington, D.C.
Matthew Guidry, Ph.D., Deputy Director, External Affairs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.
The Honorable Connie Johnson, House of Representatives, Missouri

Caught Between Systems: The Challenges of Treating Mental Illness and Substance Abuse
A growing number of patients are diagnosed with both mental illness and drug or alcohol addiction. However, too often the treatment system is not prepared to deal with co-occurring disorders. Treatment is typically provided in two separate systems, leading to fragmentation, lack of cooperation and reimbursement confusion. This session will address recent national studies and model programs that provide effective and innovative methods to integrate treatment for individuals with co-occurring disorders.

Moderator: Eileen Crean, Policy Specialist, Health Policy Tracking Services, NCSL

Speakers: Lewis Gallant, Ph.D., Executive Director, National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, Inc., Washington, D.C.
Bruce Emery, MSW, President, Strategic Partnership Solutions, Inc., Maryland

Prescription Drugs: Effective State Approaches to Extending Coverage and Controlling Costs
One of the hottest legislative issues will continue to sizzle in 2003 as legislatures respond to the twin challenges of higher demand and higher costs for prescription drugs. States are seeking to maintain or extend coverage while controlling costs for the uninsured, for Medicaid beneficiaries, for state employees, and for other groups. They are working within their states on access and cost control strategies that cross program lines and are working with colleagues in other states on strategies that cross state lines. State officials are seeking support in their efforts from providers, manufacturers, and the federal government. Hear about some of the latest work underway to increase access to drugs at an affordable price.

Moderator: The Honorable Doug Osborn, House of Representatives, Wyoming

Speakers: Anna Fallieras, Senior Program Officer, Center for Health Care Strategies, New Jersey
Dan Mendelson, Managing Director, The Health Strategies Consultancy, Washington, D.C.
The Honorable Marvin Singleton, M.D., State Senate, Missouri
The Honorable Paula C. Hollinger, State Senate, Maryland

10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Break

10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions
The President's Initiative to Expand Community Health Centers
Our community health centers are the health care foundation for about 12 million Americans, many of them poor and uninsured. These centers struggle to provide quality medical care to an ever growing population with limited financial resources. President Bush's Initiative to Expand Community Health Centers is enabling centers to continue this work as well as provide them with the money-$ 2.2 billion over 5 years-needed to expand service to millions more. Come to this session to learn more about your community health centers, the President's Initiative and the state's role in achieving the goal of the initiative-strengthening the health care safety net for those most in need.

Moderator: Rick Berkobien, Health Committee Administrator, Oregon; and Staff Chair, NCSL Standing Committee on Health

Speakers: Heather Mizeur, Director, State Affairs, National Association of Community Health Centers, Maryland
Annette Kowal, Executive Director, Colorado Community Health Network, Colorado

Nationwide Health Tracking: Finding the Link between Chronic Disease and the Environment
The nation's public health infrastructure is weak in nearly every area, including disease monitoring and tracking, according to a report by the PEW Environmental Health Commission. The causes of numerous chronic conditions or diseases-Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, leukemia, asthma, autism and attention deficit disorder-are unknown, and many states do not track the occurrence of these diseases. Tracking where and when diseases occur and their relationship to environmental factors is essential to identifying causes and implementing prevention strategies. This session discusses disease tracking to identify the causes of chronic conditions and disease clusters and how states can secure federal funding for such efforts.

Moderator: The Honorable Alan Bates, House of Representatives, Oregon; and Vice-Chair, NCSL Standing Committee on Health

Speakers: Amanda Niskar, Epidemiologist, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia
Greg Macias, Tracking Campaign Manager, Trust for America's Health, Washington, D.C.

The State of Emergency Rooms
Are our states' emergency rooms (ERs) ready to handle another crisis? Workforce shortages, reimbursement rates and availability of on-call specialists are all growing trends that threaten the readiness of the nation's ERs and trauma care systems. This session will cover how state lawmakers are responding to these serious issues.

Moderator: Michael Ashcraft, M.D., Principal Consultant, Senate Insurance Committee, Office of Senator Jackie Speier, California

Speaker: Todd Taylor, M.D., Emergency Physician and Medical Director,, Emergency Professional Services, P.C., Arizona
Sue Nedza, M.D., MBA, American College of Emergency Physicians, Illinois
The Honorable Susan Gerard, State Senate, Arizona and Chair, Health Committee

11:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Lunch Buffet
Meeting the Experts
Meeting participants will be able to share lunch with a variety of experts to discuss identified issues of interest with experts and colleagues.

NCSL appreciates the support of these organizations, however, it does not necessarily endorse their viewpoints.

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions
Weighty Issues: Addressing Childhood Obesity
Twice as many children are overweight today than in 1980. Obesity in children and adolescents is generally caused by lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of the two. This session will explore policy options to prevent childhood obesity and its consequences.

Moderator: Janis Borton, Program Manager, Health Services, Prevention Projects, NCSL

Speaker: Jeff Sunderlin, Public Health Administrator, Health Promotion and Health Education, Department of Public Health, Illinois
Maureen Daily, Medical Director, Department of Health and Hospitals, Louisiana
The Honorable Jane H. Smith, House of Representatives; and Member, Education Committee, Louisiana

Pitfalls, Perils and New Approaches to Making Health Insurance More Affordable
Escalating health insurance premiums and a rising number of uninsured have lead to a renewed search for ways to help small employers offer health insurance coverage. State legislators are also asking what they can do to encourage innovations in private sector coverage while protecting consumers and the overall health of insurance markets. The result: initiatives dealing with pooled purchasing, stripped-down benefit plans, and "consumer health choice" or defined contribution plans in Georgia, Colorado and Maine. This session will offer attendees an opportunity to gain valuable insight about innovative state initiatives to curb the rise in health insurance premiums.

Moderator: Kimura Flores, Principal Consultant, Senate Insurance Committee, Office of Senator Jackie Speier, California

Speakers: William N. Lindsay, President, Benefit Management and Design, Inc., Colorado
Linda Blumberg, Senior Research Associate, The Urban Institute, Washington, D.C.
The Honorable Michael V. Saxl, Speaker of the House, Maine

Immunization Issues: A Test for Preparedness
While the potential for pandemic flu poses a serious threat, it also offers an opportunity for states to prepare the public health system for the age of bioterrorism and other critical outbreaks. Most states have no plan for the pandemic flu or other similar threats. This session will explore how states can address their immunization needs, and in doing so, strengthen their public health systems.

Speaker: Kathleen Gensheiner, State Epidemiologist, Department of Human Services, Maine
Donna Lazorik, MS, RN, CS, Adult Immunization Coordinator, Department of Public Health, Massachusetts

3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Exhibit Hall

4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Optional Tour-West Nile Virus and Louisiana's Response
Louisiana felt the brunt of the burden of West Nile Virus cases this summer, with over 200 identified cases of the disease and nine deaths. But with a stellar surveillance, abatement, and public education program, the many agencies that work together on vector control in Louisiana most likely controlled what could have been a much bigger problem. How did the many agencies (including Louisiana's National Guard) work together? What is adequate in terms of surveillance for mosquitoes and other vectors? How much does it cost? What role did legislators play? This tour will give you an opportunity to observe surveillance, abatement, and public education campaigns in Louisiana and talk to the people who have pulled together a comprehensive strategy to combat West Nile and other mosquito-borne diseases.

This tour is complimentary but will be limited to 40 people and will be done on a first-come, first-served basis. A reservation form will be provided by mail after you have registered for the meeting.

Speakers: George Luber, Ph.D., Officer, Epidemic Intelligence Service, Health Studies Branch, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia
Raoult Ratard, M.D., M.P.H., Epidemiologist, Office of Public Health, Department of Health and Hospitals, Louisiana
David Hood, Secretary, Department of Health and Hospitals, Louisiana

4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Optional Physical Activity-Tai Chi-The National Arthritis Foundation will lead a Tai Chi demonstration. No knowledge of tai chi needed! All participants welcome!

Optional Tour-Finding Healthy Homes
From mold to lead-based paint, from asbestos to allergens that trigger asthma, environmental risks in housing afflict the people who live in them. At-risk housing is found in every part of the country, in rural, urban and suburban areas, aggravating health through elevated blood-levels, respiratory problems from molds and allergens, and even cancer from asbestos and radon. This tour will explore old New Orleans, visiting at-risk housing and learning about the hazards the residents face by living in such housing.

This tour is complimentary but will be limited to 40 people and will be done on a first-come, first-served basis. A reservation form will be provided by mail after you have registered for the meeting.

Presenters: Howard Mielke, Environmental Toxicologist, College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans
Jerry Hershovitz, Associate Director, Program Management, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia
Ken Dillon, Director, Industrial Hygienist Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Science, Alabama

evening

Dinner on your own

6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m.

Walking for Fitness (Optional)
The American Heart Association will lead a group walk (with maps available for runners). All participants are welcome. T-shirts and other daily prizes will be awarded. Meet in the Wyndham lobby.

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

Continental Buffet

8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions
The Toughest Challenge: Restraining Medicaid Costs While Preserving Coverage
Uninsured families, individuals with disabilities, and low-income elderly people rely on Medicaid and SCHIP for health care. States are seeking new approaches to assuring coverage and maintaining quality as fiscal pressures intensify. Using limited funds to provide access to quality services in tough budget times compels policymakers to look at "creative options." For example, how can states work with the private sector to provide coverage for vulnerable people? How can states assure better outcomes from the services they purchase? Join us for a discussion about new challenges to Medicaid programs and the responsibilities legislatures face in determining which state strategies should be used to assure quality and maintain coverage.

Moderator: The Honorable Charles K. Scott, State Senate, Wyoming; and Chair, NCSL Standing Committee on Health

Speakers: Kate Brester, M.S.W., Manager, Employer Contact Unit, Department of Human Services, Rhode Island
Robin Otten, Deputy Secretary, Human Services Department, New Mexico
Diane Rowland, Executive Director, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Washington, D.C.

How Do We Prepare for Health Threats to Our Communities?
The anthrax attacks of late 2001 and this summer's outbreaks of West Nile virus alerted the public to the importance of public health services in detecting and controlling diseases and other threats to our community's health. In March 2002, the federal government responded to these incidents with funding for all 50 states and U.S. Territories, allocating $918 million to shore up state/territorial public health systems to prepare for acts of bioterrorism, outbreaks of disease, and other urgent health threats. Further funding has been allocated for states to implement vector surveillance and control programs in those most affected by West Nile virus. How are legislators involved in the future design of public health? How are the states doing since funding was allocated? Hear legislators and policy experts discuss public health authority and infrastructure, preparedness planning, disease surveillance, privacy issues, and personnel qualification and training issues.

Moderator: The Honorable Richard T. Moore, State Senate; and Chair, Health Care Committee, Massachusetts

Speaker: Mary Selecky, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington; and President, Association for State and Territorial Health Officials
Mike Sage, Deputy Director, Office of Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia

9:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Closing Plenary
Health and Health Care in 2010: The Forecast, The Challenge
Legislators and other healthpolicy makers are generally quite familiar with the most important public policy issues confronting them. High on their list are issues of the so-called vulnerable populations dealing with the uninsured and underinsured, low-income women and children, long-term care for the elderly and issues of cost containment and quality of care. Legislators and administrators struggle with such issues as they come up: they debate, they compromise, they legislate, or not. Then they hold their breath hoping they did the right thing. What they generally lack - and need - is an opportunity to view their issues from a more strategic standpoint; that is, the interrelationship of issues, their likely future trajectories, the trade-offs that may be made, and the priorities for addressing them.

This session will provide a framework for addressing key health policy concerns in a more long-range, strategic context. This session will single out the major trends that are most likely to influence the course of Americans' health status and the state of the health care delivery system between now and the year 2020. Some of the specific areas that will be discussed include: demographic trends and burden of disease; cost, demand and coverage; the future delivery system; public health; and medical technologies.

Speaker: Wendy Everett, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for the Future, Menlo Park, California and President, New England Health Care Institute

11:30 a.m.

Adjournment