Health care reform at the state vs national level: Tradeoffs and tipping points

Free and open to the public.

Panelists:
Thomas Buchmueller, Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business
John J. H. (Joe) Schwarz, Former U.S. Representative and Visiting Lecturer, University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Marianne Udow-Phillips, Director, Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation (CHRT), located at the University of Michigan

Moderator:
Matthew Davis, Associate Professor, University of Michigan Medical School and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

This event is organized by professors Matthew Davis and Helen Levy, and is sponsored by the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP) and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

The persistent problems of rising health care costs, uninsurance, and underinsurance endanger the health of Americans and the quality and timeliness of their care. The majority of Americans are still covered through private health plans, but government-sponsored plans administered by federal and state governments are responsible for rapidly increasing numbers of patients, especially those with chronic and complex illness. As a result, today about 50 cents of every dollar spent on health care in the US is paid for through government programs (eg, Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP). At both federal and state levels, the rapid expansion of these expenditures threatens other public programs. Federal legislators have struggled for over a year to reach consensus about system reform. States do not have that luxury of time: because of the balanced budget imperative, officials must address health care challenges with particularly innovative, creative, and/or exceedingly difficult management decisions today. Our panelists will offer their perspectives on states' challenges and opportunities in the face of worsening health care dilemmas.

This event is funded in part by the Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling Health Policy Fund.