5 Things California: Keynote w/ AG Bonta, CalAIM’s power acronyms, Legislators talk health policy

By

Eli Kirshbaum

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We are very excited to be hosting our 2021 Los Angeles State of Reform Health Policy Conference this Thursday. It’s a great group of just over 300 attendees who will be using our unique virtual conference platform to engage with one another, and wrestle with some of the biggest challenges in California health care.

On Friday, we’ll host our Convening Panel for our 2021 Southern California Health Policy Conference. This is our event focused on the health system serving the 9.5m community members in San Diego, Orange, Riverside and Imperial Counties. That event is coming up on December 2nd and I’m hopeful will be back in person. Fingers crossed.

 

 

 

 

With help from Eli Kirshbaum

1. Keynote speakers: AG Bonta, Sup. Barger, Les Ybarra

LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger will kick off the 2021 Los Angeles State of Reform Health Policy Conference on Thursday as our Morning Keynote. The District 5 supervisor will offer remarks on the Board of Supervisors’ work to protect the health of its residents as the pandemic continues. She will also engage in a Q&A with me, during which I will incorporate questions from the audience.

At the end of the day during our Afternoon Keynote, we will hear from Les Ybarra, President of California Medicaid for Anthem, who will discuss Anthem’s work to provide coverage to the state’s most vulnerable populations in a one-on-one conversation with me. After this discussion, be sure to stick around for closing remarks from California Attorney General Rob Bonta!

 

2. Financing a better approach to health equity

Race, age, and health status still correlate to variations in health outcomes. Increased awareness of the importance of investments in diversity and equity has led to new initiatives in health care. We’re thrilled to be hosting this panel of subject area experts who will discuss ways to improve health equity by rethinking the way we finance these initiatives.

Hear Asm. Mike Gipson, Chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus, Verne Brizendine, CEO of Aetna Better Health of California, and Louise McCarthy, CEO of the Community Clinic Association of LA County, talk through health equity financing on our “Financing a better approach to health equity” panel.

 

3. The vision for CalAIM’s power acronyms

ECM, HCBS, ILOS – what are these acronyms and how well are they accomplishing what they were designed to? How is California fulfilling CalAIM’s goal of reforming Medi-Cal through these programs?

We’ve curated a panel of experts to talk about CalAIM’s current initiatives and the future of care coordination in California. Speaking on the panel will be Beau Henneman, Director of Special Programs at Anthem Blue Cross, Martha Santana-Chin, Medi-Cal President at Health Net, and Susan Philip, Deputy Director of Health Care Delivery Systems at DHCS. Kelly Bruno, President & CEO of the National Health Foundation, will moderate.

 

4. Legislators talk through health policy

We’re thrilled to have two of the California legislature’s most active voices in health policy join us on our “Legislators talk through health policy” panel. Asm. Adrin Nazarian, Chair of the Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee, and Sen. Monique Limón, Member of the Senate Health Committee, will discuss where state health policy stands in the aftermath of this year’s session.

During the conference we’ll also hear from Asm. Ash Kalra, Member of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee, on our “Driving affordability in California health care” panel. Be sure to bring your questions and input for these health policy-focused lawmakers!

 

5. Re-shaping the way health care is delivered and financed

It is increasingly clear that COVID will remain an endemic disease in America, much like influenza or HIV. So, what does that mean for the future of care delivery and financing if seasonal surges of COVID hit the system each year? These thought leaders will talk through how health care may be impacted by this “new normal.”

This panel will feature Adam Barde, Senior Director at Blue Shield of California, Tanya Dansky, MD, Senior Medical Director at MemorialCare Medical Group, and Carole Cusack, Director of Client Engagement & Strategy at 3M, for an in-depth discussion on state health care financing reform. If you haven’t already, register here so you don’t miss what is sure to be an informative conversation!