Health Costs Seminar

Tuesday, September 26

1-1:30 p.m.

Registration

1:30-2 p.m.

Welcome, Introductions and Meeting Overview

Speaker: Tahra Johnson and Samantha Scotti, NCSL

2-3:15 p.m.

U.S. Health Care Costs: Trends, Drivers and State Actions

This session will provide an overview of health care costs and spending trends, key drivers of health care costs, and the landscape of state policy options to address health care costs and prices in the U.S., including policy options of focus for this meeting. Attendees will have the opportunity to identify priorities in their states.

Moderator: Samantha Scotti, NCSL

Speakers: Alyssa Vangeli, Bailit Health

Session Presentation

3:15-3:30 p.m.

Break

3:30-4:30 p.m.

Leveraging Health Care Data to Inform Change

This session will examine how health care data intersects with various policy options. Session discussion will include price transparency tools, recent federal rules and related state actions and state legislative levers.

Moderator: Samantha Scotti, NCSL 

Speakers: Katie Martin, Health Care Costs Institute

Session Presentation

4:30-5 p.m.

Adjourn/Break

5-6 p.m.

Networking Reception: Francesca’s on Chestnut (200 E Chestnut St.)

6 p.m.

Dinner: Francesca’s on Chestnut (200 E Chestnut St.)

Wednesday, September 27 

8-8:30 a.m.

Breakfast, Networking and Overview of the Day

8:30-9:45 a.m.

Assessing Health System Consolidation and Competition 

Many studies have pointed to health system consolidation leading to higher health care prices. This session will look at state policy options related to health system mergers and acquisitions, as well as actions to bolster competition in highly concentrated markets.

Moderator: Samantha Scotti, NCSL

Speaker: Loren Adler, Brookings Schaeffer Initiative on Health Policy 

Christopher Whaley, Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health

9:45-10 a.m.

Break

10-11:15 a.m.

Health Insurance Affordability 

State governments can play an important role in ensuring affordability of insurance coverage. This session will provide an overview of state roles in cost containment and coverage initiatives, including premium rate review and other initiatives piloted in state employee health plans.

Moderator: Samantha Scotti, NCSL

Speaker: Sabrina Corlette, Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Georgetown University

Session Presentation

11:15-12:30 p.m.

Lunch and Optional Wellness Walk 

12:30-1:30 p.m.

Reigning in High Health Care Prices 

A breadth of research identifies prices as the primary driver of growing health care costs. This session will explore policy options to control rising provider prices, including reference-based pricing and cost growth benchmarking.

Moderator: Colleen Becker, NCSL

Speaker: Michael Thompson, The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchasers Coalition 

1:30-1:45 p.m.

Break

1:45-3 p.m.

Value-Based Care to Control Costs in the Commercial Market 

(NCSL acknowledges The Commonwealth Fund for their support of this session)

Policymakers seeking to improve the quality of health care while controlling its costs are increasingly reforming how care is delivered and paid for through value-based care arrangements. This session will provide an overview of the state legislative role in value-based health care initiatives – including multipayor arrangements and global budgets - that include commercial payors and have the potential to bend the cost curve.

Moderator: Kathryn Costanza, NCSL

Speakers:

• Rob Houston, Center for Health Care Strategies
• William Henderson, Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission
• Joe Thompson, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement 
   

3-3:30 p.m.

Closing, Evaluations and Next Steps

Speaker: Samantha Scotti, NCSL