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Accomplishments

Health Policy Activities Report: July - December 2007




April Highlights
… a brief look at Galen Institute activities in April 2008


Impact

We continue to provide insights in our commentaries and interviews to the health policy proposals of the presidential candidates, but we also focused this month on trying to bring some sanity to spending on health care entitlement programs. April began with Grace-Marie Turner testifying before the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee in support of efforts to curb fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program. And we closed the month co-hosting a major forum on Medicare featuring HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt, who issued dire warnings about the threat that Medicare’s insolvency presents to taxpayers, to our economy, and to other functions of government. (Click here to read the full report.)

Here are some highlights of our especially busy month of speeches and conferences:

Speeches and Events

  • Grace-Marie spoke about “A Fresh Approach to Health Care Reform” at the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Health Care Summit in Washington, DC, on April 1.
  • On April 2, Grace-Marie spoke about the health care plans of the presidential candidates at the monthly meeting of the Baltimore Association of Health Underwriters in Baltimore, Maryland.
  • Grace-Marie testified about H.R. 5613, Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008, before the U.S. House of Representatives’ House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health, on April 3 in Washington, DC.
  • On April 5 in Chicago, Illinois, Grace-Marie presented “The Free Market and the Importance of Transparency” at Enhancing Quality Performance Measurement: The New Health Care Accountability Paradigm Has Arrived, hosted by the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians, Inc.
  • Grace-Marie was a presenter on the panel, “Got Healthcare?” at the 2008 Public Affairs Conference of the National Association of Manufacturers in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 7.
  • Grace-Marie spoke about “Medicare Reform: Responses to the ‘Excess General Revenue’ Funding Warning” at the Association of Private Enterprise Education conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 8.
  • On April 10, Grace-Marie presented “Can We Repair What’s Wrong with our Health Care System through Christian Principles?” as part of the Action Institute’s Lecture Series in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  • Grace-Marie spoke at the Healthcare Roundtable Discussion of the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, DC on April 11.
  • Grace-Marie spoke about consumer-directed health care to MBA students and industry executives at the University of St. Thomas National Institute of Health Policy Seminar in Washington, DC on April 14.
  • On April 18, Grace-Marie spoke about individual health insurance mandates at the Employee Benefits Committee Meeting of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC.
  • On April 29, Grace-Marie talked about healthcare reform at the National Association of Manufacturers’ State Association Group Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.
  • And also on April 29, the Galen Institute co-hosted, with the American Enterprise Institute and The Heritage Foundation, a major Medicare Forum featuring HHS Sec. Michael Leavitt, former Sen. John Breaux, and a distinguished panel of Medicare experts.

Papers and Publications

  • “The Remarkable Similarity Between the Hillary and Obama Healthcare Plans,” Grace-Marie’s commentary comparing the candidates’ health policy proposals, was published by The Buffalo News (NY) and was also featured on the paper’s website.
  • Grace-Marie’s commentary, “Prescription drug importation could be destructive,” was published by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and was also posted on the newspaper’s website.
  • “Winning the fight against AIDS,” Grace-Marie’s commentary about the effects of dysfunctional health systems and poor governance on progress towards better AIDS treatment, continues to run, this month in the Gulf Breeze News (FL) and News India-Times (NY).
  • We produced “Access to Quality Coverage” a paper on free-market ideas for health reform for Congressional members and their staff.
  • “Doctors Living in Lala Land,” Grace-Marie’s commentary on the disadvantages of a bigger role for government in our health sector, was submitted to several publications.
  • We submitted “Indiana’s free-market idea to help the uninsured get health coverage” to Health Care News.
  • We submitted “Thwarting Sanity in Medicaid” to the Citizens for Government Waste newsletter.

In the Media

Grace-Marie spoke about Medicare, Medicaid, individual mandates, drug importation, the importance of innovation, free-market ideas for health reform, and the health care plans of the presidential candidates in numerous radio interviews around the country this month, including:

  • Nationally Syndicated Small Business Advocate: Grace-Marie spoke with host Jim Blasingame on April 1. Listen to this interview.
  • WGST-AM, Atlanta, GA: Grace-Marie spoke with host Randy Cook on April 1.
  • Nationally Syndicated Accent Radio: Grace-Marie was a guest on The Right Balance Show on April 1.
  • Nationally Syndicated Talk Radio Network: Grace-Marie was a guest on the Mancow in the Morning show on April 2.
  • WWTN-AM, Nashville, TN: Grace-Marie was a guest on Nashville’s Morning News with Ralph Bristol on April 2.
  • KLTF-AM, Little Falls, MN: Grace-Marie was a guest on The Rod Grams Show on April 2.
  • Nationally Syndicated Project Health Radio: Grace-Marie spoke with the host on April 2.
  • Nationally Syndicated Prime Time America: Grace-Marie spoke with the host on April 3.
  • WTPL-AM, Concord, NH: Grace-Marie was a guest on the Wake up New Hampshire show on April 4.
  • KAST-AM, Astoria, OR: Grace-Marie was a guest on The Dezmo Zone show on April 4.
  • WVNJ-AM, Teaneck, NJ: Grace-Marie was a guest on The Morning Show on April 4.
  • KION-AM, Monterey, CA: Grace-Marie was a guest on the Wake Up Monterey show on April 7 and 8.
  • WAPI-AM, Birmingham, AL: Grace-Marie was a guest on The Rox Report on April 14.
  • Regionally Syndicated Bott Radio Network: Grace-Marie was a guest on the Friday Encounter show on April 15.
  • WNRP-AM, Pensacola, FL: Grace-Marie was a guest on The T. Bubba and Tarsha Show on April 16.
  • WSHO-AM, New Orleans, LA: Grace-Marie spoke with host Dorothy Wallis on April 16.
  • KDKA-AM, Pittsburgh, PA: Grace-Marie spoke with host Fred Honsberger on April 18.
  • KFAB-AM, Omaha, NE: Grace-Marie was a guest on The Scott Voorhees Show on April 21.
  • WMMB-AM, Orlando, FL: Grace-Marie was a guest on the Bill Mick Live show on April 22.
  • WICC-AM, Bridgeport, CT: Grace-Marie was a guest on The David Smith Exchange show on April 22.
  • Nationally Syndicated Small Business Advocate: Grace-Marie spoke with host Jim Blasingame on April 23. Listen to this interview.
  • WBZT-AM, West Palm Beach, FL: Grace-Marie was a guest on the Senior Lifestyles show on April 23.
  • WCHV-AM, Charlottesville, VA: Grace-Marie spoke with host Joe Thomas on April 24.
  • I-Life Television Network: Grace-Marie was a guest on The Danny Fontana Show on April 24.
  • Nationally Syndicated Money Matters Financial Network: Grace-Marie spoke with host Gary Goldberg on April 25.
  • KARN-AM, Little Rock, AR: Grace-Marie was a guest on the Dave Elswick Show on April 25.
  • WOR 710 HD, New York, NY: Grace-Marie was a guest on Health Talk with Dr. Ronald Hoffman on April 28.
  • Nationally Syndicated American Family Radio: Grace-Marie spoke with host Jim Brown on April 29.
  • Nationally Syndicated Radio America: Grace-Marie spoke with host Greg Corombos on April 29.
  • WHON-AM, Richmond, IN: Grace-Marie was a guest on the Talkback show on April 30.
  • Nationally Syndicated USA Radio Network: Grace-Marie was a guest on the News and Views show on April 30.
  • Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, New York, NY: Brian Lee Crowley recorded a video interview on the realities and potential problems of a government-run health care model on April 28.
  • Health Insurance Underwriter wrote about Grace-Marie’s speech to the National Association of Health Underwriters conference in their article “First-Timers Share Their Perception of Capitol Conference 2008.”
  • Grace-Marie’s testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health was written about in “Medicaid Grace Period,” a post on DrugWonks.com, the blog of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, and in “States push back against changes,” an article posted to The Anniston Star (AL) website .
  • CQ HealthBeat quoted Grace-Marie on the Kaiser Family Foundation study on high deductible health plans and health savings accounts in the article “High Deductible Plans — Poor Fit for the Uninsured?”
  • Grace-Marie also gave special interviews to Orange County Register (CA), Tax Notes, National Journal, CQ HealthBeat, and The Buffalo News (NY).

Additional Activities

  • Grace-Marie attended the Urban Institute event “Can Tax Credits Be a Linchpin for Health Reform? Lessons from the Factory Floor” on April 1 in Washington, DC.
  • Grace-Marie met with Senator Robert Bennett and his staff on April 11 in Washington, DC.
  • Grace-Marie participated in a 2-day visit to Indianapolis on April 16 and 17, for meetings and a factory tour with Eli Lilly and Company executives.
  • Grace-Marie attended the Healthcare Policy Meeting of the Foundation for Health & Productivity on April 21 in Washington, DC.
  • On April 24 Grace-Marie attended the Bipartisan Policy Center event on “Improving Quality and Value in the Delivery of Care” in Washington, DC.
  • Grace-Marie participated in a meeting of the Health Policy Consensus Group in Washington, DC on April 30, hosted by the Progressive Policy Institute.