Health Action Conference 2022 Agenda

COVID-19’s devastating impact on people of color was born out of existing structural inequities in our health system. This disproportionate impact underscores the importance and urgency of creating long-lasting change that strengthens the health and economic wellbeing of marginalized populations. Learn from leaders in the fight to prioritize equity in vaccine distribution as they reflect on opportunities to prioritize community voice in the policy-making process during the pandemic and beyond.

Speakers:

• Genny Castillo, Southern Economic Advancement Project
• Stacy Bohlen, National Indian Health Board

Moderator:

• Tekisha Dwan Everette, Health Equity Solutions

In spite of recent federal efforts, there is still so much to be done to realize the promise of Medicaid expansion for families across the country. Hear directly from people impacted by the Medicaid coverage gap and learn from experts who will outline the health justice promise of the proposed federal fix. Participants will also gain insights and provide feedback on the path forward, including any relevant implementation plans from CMS. Please note, this session is closed to press.

Speakers:

• Vangela Wade, Mississippi Center for Justice
• Hannah Katch, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Laura Guerra-Cardus, Childrens Defense Fund Texas

Moderator:

• Lydia Orth, Families USA

Join us and learn how to use social media, podcasts and graphic design to bolster your digital advocacy. Whether you have a full communications team or wear several hats, learn how to thoughtfully weave together compelling narratives through digital audio content. Learn from communicators who have achieved monumental advocacy wins about how you can apply the latest social media trends, best practices, and strategies to your work. Participants, no matter their skill level, will also learn about the importance of visual branding along with high-level design principles to increase their digital content’s visual impact.

Speakers:

• Laura Packard, Power Thru Consulting
• Nichole Edralin, Families USA
• Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, MomsRising

Moderator:

• Justin Charles, Families USA

After nearly two years of a renewed reckoning on social justice issues, equity is a frequent, popular news topic. In a crowded media environment, how can state and local advocates organizing for health equity break through the noise? In this session, learn helpful tips and tricks from advocates who have secured impactful coverage highlighting their health equity priorities. Get ready to effectively promote your organization’s work and get the media coverage you deserve!

Speakers:

• George Jones, Bread for the City
• Kayla Frawley, Clayton Early Learning, in partnership with Elephant Circle

Moderator:

• Lisa Holland, Families USA

Attendees will leave this session with concrete examples of how to work at the state and grassroots levels to build a robust health workforce. Using an equity framework, panelists will discuss how a health workforce council at the state level can inform workforce development policies; how health workforce unions can build collective power to address inequitable workplace policies, practices and systems; and, how grassroots advocates can collaborate to address workforce policies at the state level.

Speakers:

• Floribella Redondo, Arizona Community Health Workers Association
• Hannah Maxy, Bowen Center on Health Workforce Research & Policy
• Cathy Kennedy, National Nurses Union

Moderator:

• Lee Taylor-Penn, Families USA

When it comes to the health justice movement, how do we effectively engage our networks in an increasingly virtual environment? Digital organizing technologies change rapidly, and it can be difficult to figure out where to start when it comes to building a digital organizing program. What are the elements that make a successful digital organizing strategy for health advocates? How do we build and grow our digital organizing capacity to pull in new voices, share new stories, and expand our power base? In this workshop, attendees will explore these questions and more to build their digital organizing toolkit.

Speakers:

• Melinda St. Louis, Public Citizen
• Vinay Krishnan, Center for Popular Democracy
• Sili Recio, MomsRising

Moderator:

• Jennifer Flynn Walker, Center for Popular Democracy

Three-fourths of people without health insurance now qualify for Medicaid, CHIP, and financial help buying marketplace coverage. Half of them are eligible for zero-premium health care. Learn about cutting-edge state strategies to enroll people into coverage and to keep them enrolled.

Speakers:

• Jennifer Wagner, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Melissa McChesney, UnidosUS
• Stephanie Klapper, Maryland Citizens Health Initiative

Moderator:

• Stan Dorn, Families USA

Hospitals are pivotal to the U.S. health care system, which is particularly evident as hospital workers and medical providers continue to serve on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet the business practices of the hospital industry are often in conflict with the interests of the very people they serve and are largely responsible for driving the U.S. health care affordability crisis. Efforts to tackle hospital pricing issues have historically been politically challenging and rife with misinformation about the consequences of policy change for local hospitals and communities. But recent legislative victories to ban surprise medical bills and address anticompetitive practices, along with potential upcoming prescription drug pricing reforms, signal a new era of health justice and advocacy – one that guarantees better care and value for our dollars when we seek care, including in the hospital setting. Join this workshop to hear from leading experts in the emerging movement to thoughtfully and strategically address industry abuses and improve price transparency within the hospital ecosystem. Attendees will get a sneak peek of the new film InHospitable, which was featured at the 2021 DOC NYC Film Festival!

Speakers:

• Sandra C. Alvarez, Producer and Director of InHospitable
• Shawn Gremminger, Purchaser Business Group on Health

Moderator:

• Erica Socker, Arnold Ventures

This session is an opportunity to hear from some of our nation’s top health care communicators and political strategists as they discuss how to build effective communications strategies, including how to craft messaging that will break through the noise, and tell compelling stories to engage your target audience. Organizations often spend time and money-spinning their wheels on op-eds, press releases, and tweetstorms – but is it worth it? These communications experts will talk through what works, and what doesn’t when you’re trying to build a winning message in today’s crowded media environment. Please note, this session is closed to press.

Speakers:

• Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Washington Correspondent, The New York Times
• Jesse Ferguson, Health Care Communications Consultant
• Jason Resendez, Us Against Alzheimer’s

Moderator:

• Sara Lonardo, Families USA

Drug pricing reforms have dominated the airwaves this year as one of the most important issues for families and health advocates. While Congress and state governments have been active in working to address the high costs of prescription drugs, there are still opportunities to reduce costs to patients and the health care system. Join this session to discuss the state of play on prescription drug legislation at the federal level and its impact on patients in diverse communities across the country. This session will highlight insights from leading national experts and advocates on the front lines of the national movement to reform prescription drug prices.

Speakers:

• Rafael Collazo, UnidosUS
• Margarida Jorge, Lower Drug Prices Now Coalition
• Edwin Park, Georgetown Center for Children and Families

Moderators:

• Matthew Hess, Families USA
• Bailey Reavis, Families USA

Serving 61 million people, the improvement and sustainability of Medicare is essential to meet the needs of seniors and those with disabilities in the 21^st This session will focus on key issues facing the Medicare program under the Biden Administration, including the status and next steps on establishing an oral health benefit, re-shaping Medicare reimbursement to improve health and make care affordable, and the role of telehealth in Medicare beyond the public health crisis. This session will feature national experts from across the disciplines to provide insight, analysis and projections about where Medicare is headed.

Speakers:

• Lina Walker, AARP
• Jeff Micklos, Healthcare Transformation Task Force
• Stephanie Quinn, American Academy of Family Physicians

Moderator:

• Eliot Fishman, Families USA

While advocates might be more familiar with engaging Congressional offices when it comes to federal policy and advocacy, there are many opportunities to effect change by advocating directly with the Biden Administration. Health advocates play a critical role in influencing rules and guidance in order to help consumers, such as submitting regulatory comments, meeting with officials, and serving on advisory committees. But what’s the most effective strategy for engaging with the executive branch? In this session, we’ll hear directly from an HHS official and advocates about the importance of public commenting and how to write effective comments; discuss other ways to engage in the federal rulemaking process; and review what to expect in the coming year.

Speakers:

• Mara Youdelman, National Health Law Program
• Jeff Wu, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Moderators:

• Cheryl Fish-Parcham, Families USA
• Lauren Rosenbaum, Families USA