Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Kaiser Family Foundation ■ Barbara Jordan Conference Center
1330 G Street, NW ■ Washington, DC
#Medicare13
8:30am REGISTRATION / LIGHT BREAKFAST
9:00am WELCOME
- Sabiha Zainulbhai, National Academy of Social Insurance
9:10am OPENING SESSION – Why is Medicare Important?
Why is Medicare a program that should matter to everyone?
- Len M. Nichols, George Mason University
9:30am SESSION I – Medicare: How Does it Work?
Medicare is a multifaceted program with a complex benefit package, but who pays for Medicare and who receives benefits? What are the characteristics of the typical Medicare enrollee? How is the program structured?
- Stacy Sanders, Medicare Rights Center
- Lina Walker, AARP Public Policy Institute
- Reginald Williams, II, Avalere Health, LLC
10:30am Break/Networking
10:45am SESSION II – Medicare: How Big is the Financing Problem?
The Medicare program has been running a deficit since 2008, but how much trouble is the program in? Why are program revenues and expenditures out of balance? How big is the shortfall and what are some solutions for closing the long-term funding gap?
- Jack Ebeler, Health Policy Alternatives
- Stephen Heffler, Office of the Actuary, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
11:45am LUNCH
12:00pm POLICY EXERCISE – Medicare CHAT (Part I)
Experts have debated policy solutions to Medicare’s financing for years. What solutions would you choose to address the issues of Medicare solvency?
- Moderator: Sabiha Zainulbhai, National Academy of Social Insurance
1:30pm POLICY DISCUSSION – Medicare CHAT (Part II)
Hold your own policy briefing. Report back on your ideas for the future of Medicare.
2:15pm BREAK/NETWORKING
2:30pm SESSION III – Delivery and Payment System Reforms
- Juliette Cubanski, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
- Patricia A. Davis, Congressional Research Service
- Edo Banach, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
3:30pm SESSION IV – Unfiltered: Straight Talk on Medicare
There are very different ways one can look at Medicare. This session will explore two of those perspectives on the current state of Medicare and the future of the program.
- Michael Ramlet, Purple Strategies
- Ilene Stein, SEIU
4:30pm WRAP-UP AND DOOR PRIZES