NAPH Celebrates its 30th Anniversary at Annual Meeting – Materials Available - June 28, 2011

NAPH held its Annual Conference in Chicago on June 22-24. The conference was action packed with sessions, speakers, and activities under the theme of Design, Reform, and Transform. Members were given opportunities to participate in site visits at two local NAPH member hospitals. Safety net leaders were recognized at NAPH’s annual Safety Net Awards ceremony. Discussions among members were permeated with questions about the economy and the fate of Medicaid.

Speakers Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners, and Uwe Reinhardt, professor of political economy at Princeton University, discussed Medicaid and presented members with some good and bad news. Lake mentioned recent polls that showed support for Medicaid as a program, as well as poll results showing that Americans are no longer willing to spend more to help vulnerable populations. Professor Reinhardt opined that radical Medicaid cuts would be unlikely due to the forthcoming expansion, set out by the Affordable Care Act, in 2014. Fears about the need for safety net providers after health reform implementation were assuaged by NAPH President Larry Gage and Professor Reinhardt, who noted that uninsured patients will remain even after full reform implementation and that policymakers will realize how vital safety net providers are to the health of communities.

Plenary sessions during the second day featured Alan D. Aviles, President, New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation and Eric Whitaker, MD, Executive Vice President, Strategic Affiliations and Associate Dean of Community-Based Research, University of Chicago Medical Center. They spoke about the importance of community partnerships to improve the health of the public. Alan Weil, President of the National Academy for State Health Policy, gave a powerful presentation that highlighted the fact that there will be less money for health care and that providers will have to provide more efficient and effective care. NAPH member experts spoke on panels and shared critical information about the preparation needed for reform, the management of dual eligible beneficiaries, reducing readmissions, and patient safety. For those who were unable to join NAPH in Chicago, materials from the meeting are available on the NAPH website.