The National Congress on the Uninsured: Overview

OVERVIEW

The challenge of the un and underinsured in America puts great social and economic stress on the nation's health system. The goals of the National Congress on the Un and Underinsured are, in a balanced, practical and non partisan manner,

to define the issue in all of its aspects
to describe and analyze the current regulatory environment for serving the uninsured, including EMTALA antidumping, exempt organization community benefit obligations, state property tax obligations and issues related to billing and collecting from the uninsured
to identify voluntary, charitable initiatives that are happening across the country to address the issue at the local level
to analyze the role of Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP in expansion of coverage for the uninsured
to identify and assess various federal and state health reform proposals
to describe and compare various international approaches to the issue

The Congress will feature prominent keynote speakers and plenary session panels on these topics and the following concurrent session tracks:

National Health Reform
State Health Reform
Medicaid and Children's Health
International Lessons
The Role of Safety Net Providers
Provider Strategies in Serving the Uninsured
Case Studies in Community-Based Initiatives
Legal Issues

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

The goal of the Uninsured Congress is to bring together unusual bedfellows with a shared interest in covering and caring for the uninsured, including:

Consumer/Patient Advocates
Volunteers
Clinicians
Emergency Room Managers
Healthcare Compliance Professionals and Legal Counsel
Healthcare Executives and Administrators
Safety Net Providers
Health Plan Representatives
Employers and Other Payors
County Department of Health Offices
County Public Health Officials
Pharmaceutical, Biotech, and Medical Device Manufacturers
Information Technology Vendors
Disease Management and Health Promotion Companies
Health Policy Experts
Health Services Researchers
Academics
State and Federal Regulatory Officials
Capitol Hill Staff
Administration and Congressional Representatives
Presidential Candidates and their Health Policy Advisors

CONGRESS SPONSORS:
The California HealthCare Foundation is an independent philanthropy committed to improving the way health care is delivered and financed in California. By promoting innovations in care and broader access to information, our goal is to ensure that all Californians can get the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. CHCF commissions research and analysis; publishes and disseminates information; convenes meetings of key health care groups; and funds development of programs and models aimed at improving health care in California.

The Century Foundation, founded in 1919 by the progressive businessman Edward A. Filene, is a nonprofit public policy research institution committed to the belief that a mix of effective government, open democracy, and free markets is the most effective solution to the major challenges facing the United States. Our staff, fellows, and contract authors produce publications and participate in events that (1) explain and analyze public issues in plain language, (2) provide facts and opinions about the strengths and weaknesses of different policy strategies, and (3) develop and call attention to distinctive ideas that can work.

The Harvard Health Policy Review is dedicated to broadening awareness of health policy issues and aims to educate people about healthcare policy and to stimulate thinking about the pressing healthcare questions facing the nation and the world. The HHPR is published by Exploring Policy in Health Care at Harvard and is supported by the University-wide Interfaculty Initiative in Health Policy.

Health Affairs is the leading journal of health policy thought and research. Health Affairs is a multidisciplinary journal covering a wide range of health issues, including access to care, health spending, quality, Medicare, Medicaid, prescription drug coverage and costs, physician practice, nursing trends, mental health, malpractice and health law, insurance reform, hospitals, global health, and disparities in healthcare, among others.

Inquiry seeks to contribute to the continued improvement of the nation's health care system by providing a thoughtful forum for the communication and discussion of relevant public policy issues, innovative concepts, and original research and demonstrations in the areas of health care organization, provision and financing.

The Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law a leading journal in its field, and the primary source of communication across the many disciplines it serves, focuses on the initiation, formulation, and implementation of health policy and analyzes the relations between government and health - past, present, and future.

The Milbank Memorial Fund is an endowed operating foundation that works to improve health by helping decision makers in the public and private sectors acquire and use the best available evidence to inform policy for health care and population health. The Fund has engaged in nonpartisan analysis, study, research, and communication on significant issues in health policy since its inception in 1905. Its staff organizes and participates in meetings with decision makers and publishes reports, books, and The Milbank Quarterly, a peer-reviewed journal of population health and health policy.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans. The Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves.