Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Join in the healthcare conversation on SIRIUSXM Channel 111 - the Wharton business channel! A panel of experts will discuss Payer consolidation - good or bad for the consumer?
Our next radio session, Payer consolidation - good or bad for the consumer?, will be Tuesday, October 13 from 12:00pm to 1:00pm EDT. Please note that the topic is subject to change.
Click here to register. Open only to current dues-paying members of WHCMAA. Now available to 50 participants!
The user name and password for access to this session will be emailed to all participants on Monday, October 12th.
Summary: Payer consolidation: Good or bad for the consumer?
A recent flurry of acquisitive activity has taken place in the health insurance market. Aetna has purchased Humana and Anthem has purchased Cigna. Ten years ago over 15 insurers controlled half of the 165 million privately insured. Today 4 insurers control 65% of the 165 million privately insured. Insurers state the reasons for consolidation have to do with economies of scale and with an ability to negotiate effectively on the enrollees behalf for better health care pricing. But are these better prices being passed on the consumer in the form of lower premiums and is this overall good for the consumer as it relates to choice? Hear from 3 experts who have studied the market behavior of highly concentrated health insurance markets to find out what really is happening.
Panelists:
Bradley Herring, PhD:
health economics professor at Johns Hopkins whose research focuses on health insurance coverage. His research has been published in the Journal of Health Economics and New England Journal of Medicine. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, was a health policy fellow at Yale University, and served with the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
Amanda Starc, PhD:
is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Care Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her research examines the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and Medicare Supplement (“Medigap”) markets, as well as consumer behavior in insurance exchanges.
George Slover, JD:
Senior policy counsel in the Washington office of Consumers Union, the public policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports. George works on competition policy, regulatory policy, and other consumer protection policy issues. Before coming to Consumers Union, he worked at the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, and at the House Judiciary Committee, where he was lead antitrust counsel, and later chief legislative counsel and parliamentarian. He is on the advisory board of the American Antitrust Institute, and is an elected member of the American Law Institute. He holds a J.D. from the University of Texas Law School and a master of public affairs from the LBJ School.
Robert Town, PhD:
Professor in the Health Care Management Department in the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses upon health economics, medical device innovation, industrial organization and applied econometrics. His work focuses on the intersection of government policy and provider and insurer competition in the health care marketplace.
Moderated by: Jeff Voigt, WG'85, Principal Medical Device Consultants of Ridgewood, LLC
These sessions are free of charge to WHCMAA dues paying members and will permit a listener to listen in through their computer for these nationally broadcast one hour time slots. It will also provide listeners to call in during these sessions to provide their perspectives. These sessions will also be replayed at least 4 more times during the week on SIRIUS Channel 111. It is a great way to join in the conversation!
Replay schedule:
Friday, October 16th at 9:00 am EDT
Saturday, October 17th at 4:00 pm EDT
Sunday, October 18th at 9:00 pm EDT
Note: If we become oversubscribed to this offer, our goal will be to extend the one hour radio segment to 2 hours (to ensure your voice is heard). Lastly, if you have an idea for a panel discussion or would like to be a panelist for a session, please email Jeff Voigt at [email protected]. Again, this is open only to dues paying members.
Additional Sessions:
Please visit our Events page for a listing of additional sessions: http://www.whartonhealthcare.org/events.html.