ROUNDTABLES AT-A-GLANCE:

  1. Dual Eligibles: Care Coordination in the States
  2. People vs. Pundits: A Disconnect in Public Opinion on Social Security
  3. Opioid Use, Overuse and Abuse in Workers’ Compensation
  4. How Has the Safety Net Fared in the Great Recession and Subsequent Recovery?

All roundtable sessions were held at the National Press Club from 9:15am-10:30am on Friday, February 1, 2013 in conjunction with NASI’s 25th annual policy research conference.

PowerPoint presentations for the roundtable sessions are available below by clicking on the link on the speaker’s name.


1) Dual Eligibles: Care Coordination in the States  

Individuals that are dually eligible – enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid – are among the poorest and sickest in our health care system, yet they often receive the most fragmented care. Beginning this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) will implement state demonstrations that test integrated delivery and payment models for duals. As we know from decades of experience, integrating care between two programs that are so vastly different will present challenges as well as opportunities, and this roundtable will explore both.
This roundtable is underwritten by the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy.

2) People vs. Pundits: A Disconnect in Public Opinion on Social Security

We often hear what pundits think about Social Security – but what do the American people think? This roundtable will discuss the implications of NASI’s new survey report, Strengthening Social Security: What Do Americans Want?, which is being released on January 31. The study used new research techniques to assess which packages of policy changes Americans prefer and how views compare across generations, income levels, and party affiliations. The findings may surprise you. Discussants will assess the implications of the report.
This roundtable is underwritten in part by the Ford Foundation.

  • Thomas N. Bethell, National Academy of Social Insurance (moderator)
  • Jasmine V. Tucker, National Academy of Social Insurance
  • Mathew Greenwald, Mathew Greenwald & Associates
  • Debra B. Whitman, AARP
  • Kathryn Anne Edwards, author, A Young Person’s Guide to Social Security

3) Opioid Use, Overuse and Abuse in Workers’ Compensation

Prescription drug overuse and abuse have been called an “epidemic” by the Centers for Disease Control. In recent years there have been increasing concerns about opioid abuse in workers’ compensation, where some of the most common injuries, such as those resulting in back disorders, may involve long-term prescribing of medications for pain control. Many studies are underway to examine the effects of inappropriate opioid use in workers’ compensation. This roundtable will feature speakers discussing the national and state-level implications of this issue.
This roundtable is underwritten by the California Workers’ Compensation Institute.

4) How Has the Safety Net Fared in the Great Recession and Subsequent Recovery?

As a result of the recent economic downturn and its aftermath, millions of Americans have relied on social insurance programs and other public benefits in order to make ends meet. This roundtable will feature new findings by Johns Hopkins University economist Robert Moffitt. His Sage Foundation-funded research focuses on the responsiveness of the social safety net during the Great Recession and its aftermath using various datasets. Panelists will share findings that compare programs across states and past recessions as well as discuss the range of effectives programs such as unemployment insurance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and other related programs.