Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Consumer-Driven Health Plans:

Implications for consumers, providers, and insurers

Kim Bellard, VP eMarketing & CRM, Highmark BCBS

Deborah Rice, Sr. VP Regional Markets, Highmark BCBS

Cliff Shannon, Executive Director, SMC Business Councils

A.J. Harper, President, Hospital Council of Western Pennsylvania

Moderated by: Richard A. Longo, FACHE, FACMPE

                         VP Network/Client Services, Devon Health Services, Inc.

Registration & Networking begin at 5:30 PM

Pre Registration Deadline: October 19, 2005

Program Description:  Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSAs) are becoming a more popular choice for healthcare consumers and employers as they face double-digit premium increases.  These high-deductible policies allow consumers to be more conscientious about their healthcare by giving them the responsibility for managing their own healthcare spending.  The rising popularity of these plans would indicate a decrease in the rise of healthcare costs and an increase in healthcare quality in the future.  Past reforms, such as HMOs, only succeeded in controlling costs for a few years.  Can these consumer-directed plans permanently influence the rising costs of healthcare?  Please join SPHE as we investigate HSAs from all angles: payer, provider, and consumer.

For more information on HSAs and other consumer-directed health plans, read this RAND study prepared for the California Health Care Foundation.

As an officially designated Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Healthcare Executives is authorized to award 1.0 hours of Category II continuing education credit toward advancement or recertification in the ACHE. Participants in this program who wish to have it considered for Category II (non-ACHE) credit should list their attendance when they apply to the ACHE for advancement or recertification.