The Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable

?? Start the new year informed! Join us on Thursday, January 9th, 2025, at 2:00 PM (EST) for The Roundtable’s first webinar of the year. ?? What we’ll cover: ? Key insights on the 119th Congress ? Expectations for the first 100 days of the incoming Trump Administration Led by Senior Policy Advisor Andrew MacPherson and our expert policy team, this session will provide insights into the year ahead. Register today! https://lnkd.in/dBbYj5fk

?? The 2024 Specialty Drug Survey, was just released! The report, led by The Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable and the National Institute for Public Employee Health Care Policy, reveals a critical trend: pharmacy costs now exceed 36% of total healthcare spending for many employers and plan sponsors. To address this, they’re partnering with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and implementing innovative cost-saving strategies, including access to international pharmaceuticals, pilot programs with aggregated employee populations, and stop-loss measures for high-cost gene therapies. Read the Report to learn more: https://lnkd.in/e3kwCujf

Day 3 Highlights from The Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable Annual Conference The final day of our 20th Annual Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable Annual Conference, held at The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC, featured insightful discussions on the future of public sector health care purchasing and evolving health policies. Aligning for Progress: Perspectives from Payers – Fireside Chat Victoria Russo, Policy Advisor at the Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable, and Garrett Hohimer, Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at the Business Group on Health, engaged in a fireside chat exploring strategies for aligning payer perspectives to drive progress in health care policy and delivery. Mental Health Parity and Public Sector Purchasers: Perspectives from the U.S. Department of Labor The Honorable Lisa M. Gomez, Assistant Secretary of the Employee Benefits Security Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor, provided insights into mental health parity, emphasizing its significance for public sector purchasers and the role of federal oversight in ensuring equitable mental health benefits. Empowering People and Communities: What’s Next for Mental Health, Equity, and Crisis Care in the U.S. Al Guida, Principal at Guide Consulting Services, and Chris Santarsiero, M.B.A., Vice President of Government Affairs at Connections Health Solutions, discussed future directions for mental health services, focusing on equity and crisis care, including the recently launched 998 line. Update from the National Institute for Public Employee Health Care Policy: Accomplishments to Date and Cost Containment Survey Findings Marta Green, Executive Director of the National Institute on Public Employee Health Care Policy, alongside Victoria Russo, presented recent accomplishments and findings from a cost containment survey, highlighting strategies for managing health care costs in the public sector. These sessions provided valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing public sector health care purchasers, particularly in the realms of mental health parity, policy alignment, and cost containment.

?? Day 2 at the Public Sector Healthcare Roundtable continued with an impactful afternoon! ? We explored Medicare Advantage at a Crossroads with Tomas Bednar, SVP at Healthsperien, leading a thought-provoking discussion with James Michel of Cigna and Kaitlyn Saal-Ridpath from the Better Medicare Alliance on the future of EGWPs. Next, Anna Kaltenboeck from ATI Advisory shared insights on Building on Progress: Opportunities to Address Drug Prices in the U.S., diving into potential solutions to make medications more affordable. Finally, Kris Haltmeyer from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association tackled the complex landscape of provider consolidation, exploring the political dynamics and policy solutions needed to address this pressing issue. Thank you to our incredible panelists for a powerful and informative afternoon! #HealthcarePolicy #MedicareAdvantage #DrugPricing #HealthCareRoundtable

?? Day 2 at The Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable Roundtable kicked off strong! We were honored to welcome Nancy LeaMond, EVP and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer at AARP, who shared her insights on the challenges and opportunities we face in an aging society. Next, in an engaging fireside chat, Kripa Sreepada, Senior Health Policy Advisor at the Senate Finance Committee, and Seth Gold, Professional Staff Member at the House Energy & Commerce Committee, covered key topics from hospice benefits to mental health. The morning wrapped up with a dynamic discussion with Meena Seshamani, M.D., PhD, Director of the Center for Medicare, on Medicare’s efforts to streamline benefits, improve access, and promote patient-centered care. Thank you to all our fantastic speakers for an inspiring start to the day! #HealthCareRoundtable #PolicyinAction #AgingPopulation #Medicare

It's a big year for The Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable! This week, we gathered for our 20th Annual Conference, which would not be possible without our incredible sponsors. We would like to thank our Gold, Silver-Plus, Silver, and Bronze-Plus sponsors for their continued support of our work and members! Aetna, a CVS Health Company Hinge Health Elevance Health Quantum Health CVS Health CavMac Optum Rx Rx Savings Solutions RetireeFirst Via Benefits by WTW

?? Celebrating 20 years! Yesterday, we kicked off our 20th Annual Conference with opening remarks from Administrator Tom Lussier welcoming our members, valued sponsors, and guests. We started the program welcoming Nathan Gonzales of Inside Elections LLC, for a keynote offering timely insights on what’s ahead in the coming months and years. A heartfelt thanks to long-time supporter Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle for taking the time to join Senior Policy Advisor Andrew MacPherson for a conversation that highlighted two decades of impactful work and looked toward the future of public sector health care policy. We closed out with a lively fireside chat featuring Debbie Curtis from McDermott+ and Dean Rosen from Mehlman Consulting, diving into the issues from both the Democratic and Republican lens on what will likely shape the next administration. Thanks to all for a great start to the conference!

Thank you to all our incredible sponsors for making the 20th Annual Public Sector Healthcare Roundtable a success! Your generous support allows us to bring together key voices and drive meaningful conversations around healthcare innovation. First, we want to recognize our Platinum Plus and Gold Plus sponsors. We couldn’t do our work without you! Express Scripts by Evernorth Humana Segal UnitedHealthcare Aon Lantern

?? Important Update ?? Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed a critical provision of the bipartisan Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act, a victory for increased competition and lower pharmaceutical prices. Authored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), this legislation targets "patent thickets" that hinder competition and inflate costs. The Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable has long championed these reforms and applauds the bipartisan effort to pass this key provision. This is a significant step toward ending anti-competitive practices and passing drug savings along to public sector purchasers. Visit our website to learn more https://lnkd.in/ed_Nsr9T #Healthcare #AffordablePrescriptions #BipartisanSupport #PublicSector

Members - Mark Your Calendars! ?? Join us for the Roundtable's 20th Annual Conference ??? Dates: November 6-8, 2024 ?? Location: The Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC Registration Opens Soon! Stay tuned for more details! #AnnualConference #WashingtonDC #SaveTheDate