ON FEBRUARY 7, NVHPF HOSTED ITS FIRST REPORTERS’ PANEL OF 2025

 

With healthcare policy poised for significant transitions under a new administration, the Northern Virginia Health Policy Forum was honored to host Phil Galewitz of KFF, Maya Goldman of Axios, and John Wilkerson of STAT in conversation with Applied Policy President and CEO Jim Scott.

 

A recording of the event is available below. Download a summary here.

ON DECEMBER 4, 2024, NVHPF HOSTED

A DISCUSSION OF POLICY PATHWAYS FOR HEALTHCARE UNDER A NEW ADMINISTRATION

 

As policymakers prepare for changes in health policy under the incoming administration, the Northern Virginia Health Policy Forum was pleased to host Brett Baker from The Nickles Group and Diane Major from The D Major Group for a discussion of what we might expect in the next year.

 

Watch a recording of the conversation, moderated by Applied Policy President and CEO Jim Scott, below. Download a summary of the event here.

ON NOVEMBER 19, 2024, NVHPF HOSTED

TECHNOLOGY AND THE FUTURE OF DIABETES CARE

 

Wearable technology has revolutionized the management of diabetes during the last decade, offering patients increased safety and self-sufficiency. But according to leading researchers and clinicians, the revolution in diabetes self-management – powered by evolving technologies – has just begun.

 

On November 19, the Northern Virginia Health Policy Forum hosted a webinar on recent advances in diabetes technology and their potential to transform care practices. Our panel of experts—Davida Kruger, certified nurse practitioner; Dr. Anders Carlson, Associate Executive Director at the International Diabetes Center; and Julie Heverly from The diaTribe Foundation—provided insights on the evolving landscape of diabetes management.

 

Watch highlights of the event below.

ON OCTOBER 22, 2024, NVHPF HOSTED

 

MEDICARE DRUG NEGOTIATIONS: THE CURRENT STATUS, THE POTENTIAL IMPACT

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is advancing toward their second round of price negotiations with American pharmaceutical companies. The first round of negotiations focused on lowering the prices of ten high-cost drugs. The second round will include fifteen additional drugs and will be announced February 1, 2025. These ongoing negotiations between CMS and pharmaceutical companies could bring about landmark changes for healthcare in the United States.

 

John O’Brien, President of the National Pharmaceutical Council, and Jason Spangler, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Innovation & Value Research, joined the Northern Virginia Health Policy Forum on October 22 to share their perspectives on the current process and future developments related to price reductions.

 

A recording of the event is available below.

ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2024, NVHPF HOSTED

ACA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

 

As the Affordable Care Act (ACA) approaches its fifteenth anniversary, it stands as one of the most significant healthcare reforms in U.S. history. The landmark legislation has not only expanded Medicaid to millions of low-income Americans but also revolutionized access to health insurance through the creation of state and federal exchanges. The result has been a dramatic reduction in the number of uninsured.

 

The legislation has survived both legal and political challenges since its passage, but has survived and has expanded coverage. This January will mark another critical moment for the law, depending on the outcomes of the Presidential and Congressional elections. Additionally, the enhanced subsidies in the ACA Marketplace are scheduled to expire at the end of next year. If they are not extended, millions of Americans could face significant increases in their premiums or even find themselves unable to afford health insurance at all.

 

On September 17, we hosted a conversation with two experts uniquely positioned to discuss the current status of the ACA and its future trajectory:

 

-Jeff Wu, Deputy Director for Policy for the CMS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, and

-Kris Haltmeyer, Vice President of Policy Analysis for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

 

 

Watch program highlights or the event in its entirety below.

 

 

ON JULY 17, 2024, NVHPF HOSTED

AHRQ LEADERSHIP ON EVIDENCE TO TRANSFORM CARE

 

As Chief Strategy Officer of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Dr. Arlene Bierman oversees critical research designed to improve the United States’ healthcare system’s safety, quality, accessibility, equity, and affordability. With a budget of more than $550 million, AHRQ investigates wide-ranging and key questions, including the impact of digital tools on patient engagement and healthcare outcomes; the intersection of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status with healthcare disparities; and strategies for preventing and controlling healthcare-associated infections.

 

Dr. Bierman is an internist and geriatrician who has dedicated her career to improving the access, quality, and outcomes of healthcare for older adults with chronic illnesses in underserved populations. She joined the Northern Virginia Health Policy Forum on July 17 to discuss AHRQ’s work as well as the funding opportunities it offers for advancing healthcare research.

 

Watch program highlights or the event in its entirety below.

ON MAY 22, 2024, NVHPF HOSTED

CMS LEADERSHIP IN A DISCUSSION OF PROGRESS IN VALUE-BASED CARE

 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is leading the charge toward a healthcare system that it says will reward the quality of care over the quantity of care. The agency’s goal marks a shift from the traditional fee-for-service model that pays based on the number of services given, and it instead aims to incentivize providers to deliver coordinated, patient-centered, high-quality care. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMS Innovation Center) has launched over 50 models to test alternative approaches to paying for care since it was established in 2010. In 2021, the agency announced its goal of establishing accountable care relationships for all Medicare beneficiaries and most Medicaid beneficiaries by 2030 as part of a strategy refresh guiding the CMS Innovation Center’s goals and priorities moving forward.

 

On Wednesday, May 22, NVHPF welcomed Purva Rawal, PhD, Chief Strategy Officer at the CMS Innovation Center, and Dilipan Sundaramoorthy, Special Assistant to the Chief Strategy Officer, for a discussion of the Innovation Center’s progress toward wide integration of value-based programs, efforts to advance health equity, and the future of accountable care.

 

Watch the event in its entirety below. A summary is available for download here.

 

ON APRIL  24, 2024, NVHPF HOSTED

WHAT’S NEXT IN HEALTHCARE: THE DEFINING TRENDS TO FOLLOW 

 

With election-year issues coming into focus, health policy is dominating much of the conversation in Washington.

 

Jonah Comstock, Editor-in-Chief of pharmaphorum; Ben Leonard, healthcare reporter at POLITICO; and John Wilkerson, Washington Correspondent at STAT News, joined NVHPF on April 24 to share their insights on what is ahead in healthcare for Congress, providers, patients, and the industry.

 

Watch highlights or the event in its entirety below. Download a summary  here.

ON MARCH 20, 2024, NVHPF HOSTED

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: INSIGHTS AND INNOVATIONS IN TOMORROW’S HEALTHCARE

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing healthcare. Hospitals and health systems are already seeing the benefits of deploying AI in the clinical setting, including operating as a second set of eyes for radiologists, mitigating the risk of human error, and enabling early detection of adverse events in remote patient monitoring. However, questions remain regarding how to regulate AI while ensuring that it is deployed in a safe, unbiased manner.

 

At Houston Methodist, a core team of health and technology professionals, self-described as “Digital Innovation Obsessed People,” leads the hospital’s Center for Innovation. Their mandate: drive new pilots and programs that will facilitate success across the healthcare spectrum. Roberta Schwartz, PhD, MHS, is the Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at the Houston Methodist healthcare system. She joined the Northern Virginia Health Policy Forum on March 20 to share her front-line view of the future of AI in healthcare as well as the existing innovations shaping our present-day healthcare system.

 

Watch highlights or the event in its entirety below. Download a summary of the event here.

OUR FEBRUARY 2024 EVENT: MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS

 

 

On February 28, 2024, the Northern Virginia Health Policy Forum hosted Meredith Freed, Senior Policy Manager at KFF’s Program on Medicare Policy, and Gregory Berger, Principal Policy Advisor for Government Relations at Kaiser Permanente, for a discussion of Medicare Advantage.

 

Watch highlights or the event in its entirety below. Download a summary here.

 

Notables Moments of Past Events

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Read a transcript of the event here.

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