WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2017 — Government officials and health law experts, including Kevin Hahm, deputy assistant director for Mergers IV Division, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Stephen Curren, director of the Division of Resilience, Department of Health and Human Services, will address a variety of emerging health industry topics during the American Bar Association 15th Annual Washington Health Law Summit on Dec. 4-5.
November 29, 2017
Experts to discuss regulatory changes, the opioid epidemic, other timely topics at ABA meeting
Dr. Christa Marie Singleton, senior medical advisor, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, will deliver the keynote address on “The State of the CDC,” and discuss pressing issues under review by the agency, how CDC works with various state agencies and the impact of multi-governmental communications on public health.
In addition, Politico’s top health care reporters, David Pittman and Paul Demko, will discuss current affairs and what to expect in the next legislative session at a luncheon on Monday, Dec. 4, at noon.
What:
Washington Health Law Summit
Sponsored by the ABA Health Law Section
When:
Monday-Tuesday, Dec. 4-5
Where:
The Ritz-Carlton Washington
1150 22nd St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20037
Program highlights include:
“What Is Driving Total Cost of Care?” — The adoption of value-based payment (VBP) models was intended to slow the rate of health care spending. However, the question of whether VBP models lead to decreased cost growth has not been tested empirically. This attorney-led session describes the results of a market-level impact study of VBP models and other factors (including health plan and provider concentration) on cost growth trends. The study, funded by the Commonwealth Fund, combines quantitative analysis of cost data from more than 960 markets with a qualitative analysis based on interviews with health care organizations and employers in nine markets.
Monday, Dec. 4, 9:45-10:45 p.m.
“Recent Antitrust Developments and What This Means for Your Next Provider Transaction” – A panel of experts, including Kevin Hahm, deputy assistant director for the Mergers IV Division, FTC, Washington, D.C., and Anne Schenof, Compliance Division, Bureau of Competition, FTC, Washington, D.C., will discuss recent FTC challenges to hospital and physician mergers and how to remedy a transaction the FTC believes is anticompetitive.
Monday, Dec. 4, 1:45-2:45 p.m.
“Confronting Mental Health Needs in Healthcare” – In this session, an attorney and a physician will explore the unmet need for addressing mental health issues in the health care setting. They will discuss the risks that patients with mental health needs face, including financial abuse, incarceration, adverse drug interactions and untreated pain; the need for mental health assessment and care integration; the role of antipsychotic drugs in caring for this population the impact of the opioid crisis on prescription practices; the role of the electronic health record in reducing adverse drug interactions; and the federal and state public policy implications of the mental health crisis.
Monday, Dec. 4, 3-4 p.m.
“Discussing the Future of Medicare, Medicaid and Healthcare Reform with Former CMS Leaders” – After almost one year into the Trump administration, many questions remain regarding the future of government health care and the policies that may be implemented. In this session, former CMS leaders under Presidents Bush (Mark McClellan, now director, Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy at Duke University, and Herb B. Kuhn, now president and CEO, Missouri Hospital Association) and Obama (Jonathan D. Blum, now executive vice president, Medical Affairs, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in Baltimore) will offer a unique glimpse into the evolving healthcare market spanning the past 15 years.
Tuesday, Dec. 5, 8:45-9:45 a.m.
“Government Enforcers: Behind the Curtain” – Here’s a chance to look behind the curtain as senior civil and criminal government officials provide information about their top enforcement priorities in health care. Joseph Beemsterboer, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.; Natalie Priddy, DOJ, Washington, D.C.; and Lisa Re, Office of the Inspector General, Washington, D.C., will discuss key areas of investigative focus, the impact of coordinated enforcement, working with whistleblowers and tips for putting clients in the best position prior to and during an investigation.
Tuesday, Dec. 5, 10-11 a.m.
“The Opioid Epidemic: Legal and Policy Considerations” – Recently the federal government and many states have made legislative and regulatory changes designed to combat the opioid epidemic. Yet, the number of people dying from opioid-related causes continues to increase. Panelists, including Daniel Blaney-Koen, senior legislative counsel, American Medical Association, Chicago; and Arthur L. Burnett Sr., judge retired, national executive director and vice president of administration, National African American Drug Policy Coalition, Inc., Washington, D.C., will examine the legal implications of opioid policies and initiatives and provide practical advice for attorneys working with stakeholders or advising clinicians regarding how to best navigate treatment of clients with chronic pain or opioid-dependent conditions.
Tuesday, Dec. 5, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
“Regulatory Changes Under the New Administration that Impact Hospitals and Health Care Systems—What to Watch For?” – This session will focus on recent and proposed regulatory changes that impact hospitals and healthcare systems. During the first year of the Trump administration, Payment Models, MACRA, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Surveys and transparency have all received attention. A panel of experts, including Melinda Reid Hatton, general counsel of the American Hospital Association, will discuss these and other topics, and how hospitals and healthcare systems should be aware of these changes.
Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2:45-3:45 p.m.
A complete agenda can be found online.
This event is free and open to members of the press. For media credentialing, please contact Priscilla Totten at Priscilla.Totten@americanbar.org.
Go to www.abalegalfactcheck.com for the ABA’s new feature that cites case and statutory law and other legal precedents to distinguish legal fact from fiction.
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