Health legislative conference planned

Managed care will be the focus of the 1998 Washington Health Legislative Conference organized by the UW Health Policy Analysis Program. The 13^th annual conference will be a day-long event on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the DoubleTree Hotel in SeaTac.

After a welcome statement from Gov. Gary Locke, the participants will explore topics with implications for managing care and for the performance of the health care system as a whole. The conference will also cover matters that have immediate importance for the 1999 Washington State Legislature, including workforce, budget and regulatory issues.

The annual legislative conference has become a fixture for the region’s health policy community, including legislators and staff, consumer and advocacy groups, managed care organizations and health service providers, insurers and researchers.

Aaron Katz, staff director of the Health Policy Analysis Program, notes that, “Everyday, the news media, television and even Hollywood are highlighting concerns about managed care— the lines about managed care in the movies “Bulworth” and “As Good As It Gets” probably got more immediate audience reaction than anything else. Issues about quality and trust in health care really resonate with people. The problem is that these soundbite presentations don’t reveal the complex changes that the American health system is going through, not are they helpful in guiding what should happen in the future.

“This conference will go beyond the rhetoric,” he said, “by bringing health care professionals together with politicians, citizens and managed care plans to talk about what works, what doesn’t, and how to change things so that people get the care they need when they need it.”

Several UW faculty and staff members will be moderating sessions and making presentations. For a full schedule and information on registration, contact the Health Policy Analysis Program at 543-3670. Registration by Nov. 13 is $95 or $30 for students, seniors, and people with low income. ¶