Event Recap: HealthCare Decoded

Healthcare Decoded was a Roll Call Live event sponsored by Better Medicare Alliance in partnership with CQ news. The event discussed current healthcare issues such as potential changes to Medicaid and Medicare, the opioid epidemic and life after the individual mandate. Opening remarks by the moderator, Jason Dick from CQ news. Followed by Interviews with Republican Ways & Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Roskam (IL-06), Democratic Ways & Means Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Levin (MI-09), and Congresswoman Schwartz, President and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance. The event also had two panels with experts on Healthcare issues on the private and public sector discussing: Medicaid and Medicare Reform: The Road Ahead and Access, Affordability, and Government Spending. The Forum was live-streamed. The event had a strong audience of senior level attendees from cross-section of industry, government, associations and working media with 76 onsite attendees and 264 livestream views.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Chairman Roskam (IL-06) said we must transition into a new way of thinking about models. Discussed thinking about legislation on opioid abuse in Medicare and regulatory relief

Ranking Member Levin (MI-09) said Medicare needs to be able to negotiate drug prices like Medicaid and we need to get a handle on drugs – their cost and how they are prescribed. Also, discussed he is interested to see if the HHS Secretary implements bundling and MACRA to move away from FFS Medicare.

Congresswoman Schwartz discussed the biggest development of Medicare Advantage this past months, the CHRONIC Care Act, and BMA’s priorities in the Rate Notice.

In the panel discussion on Medicaid + Medicare Reform there was consensus that entitlement reform was unlikely, care is moving into the home, and expansion and waivers in Medicaid are ongoing.

In the panel discussion on access, affordability, and government spending, the discussion centered around value-based care and payments based on outcomes. Relevant price transparency information for patients is critical.

Legislative discussion on the cost of health care: The CREATES Act could encourage the use of generic drugs. Enable first dollar coverage in HSA’s. A fast track mechanism for coverage at CMS.

SPEAKERS:

• Jason Dick – Managing Editor, Leadership, CQ Roll Call
• Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL) –  Chairman, House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health
• Interviewed by Rebecca Adams- Health Care Editor, CQ Roll Call
• Congressman Sander Levin (D-MI) – Ranking Member, House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health
• Interviewed by Mary Ellen McIntire – Staff Writer, Health Care Policy, CQ Roll Call
• Congresswoman Allyson Y. Schwartz – President and CEO, Better Medicare Alliance
• Interviewed by John Wilkerson – Inside Health Policy

PANELIST:

• Margaret A. Murray – Chief Executive Officer, Association for Community Affiliated Plans
• Dr. Diane Rowland – Executive Vice President, Kaiser Family Foundation
• Hemi Tewarson – Division Director, Health Division, National Governors Association
• Misty Williams – Staff Writer, Health Care Policy, CQ Roll Call
• Donald Dempsey – Vice President, Policy and Regulatory Affairs, CVS Health
• Donald May – Executive Vice President for Payment and Health Care Delivery Policy, AdvaMed
• Rodney Whitlock – Vice President, Health Policy, ML Strategies & Policy Advisor, Campaign for Sustainable RX Pricing
• Andrew Siddons – Staff Writer, Health Care Policy, CQ Roll Call.

To view the full event broadcast, please see here.

To view conversation of the event on Twitter search #HealthCareDecoded

See below for photos from the event.