Live Blog: Healthcare Conference: Public Policy Institute at JU

[TheCat]

Will Weatherford just walked in, speaker of the house of florida legislature.

[TheCat]

Geraghty's is still, mostly, and completely, giving a speech about Florida Blue. We are on how their retail centers are built to be inclusive and help with a cultural shift towards living healthy and something about literacy.

This is a ra-ra speech but it is info I don't mind hearing.

Geraghty is another great speaker. Dynamic.

Conflict of interest for an insurance company to be involved in health care in the same manner as Florida Blue?

[TheCat]

A good Article about Florida Blue's reorganization, discusses a bit about potential conflict of interest.

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/07/25/florida-blue-wants-restructuring/

[TheCat]

Now we are on to "Key Policy Issues":

Launches straight into canceling issues at the advent of Affordable Care Act (ACA)

1. Cancellations vs. Transitions. : "What Florida Blue did was comply with the law."

"Because of the affordable care act. your plan will no longer be available after the end of the year."

2. Marketplace impacts: We shouldn't be raising taxes on insurers. We're only charging the consumer. We think it's counter productive.

3. Medicaid Expansion - Florida should take these funds. But how do we take these funds and radically transform this system not funnel funds into a broken system. We can take these funds and transition the system. We are in support of expansion.

we continue to believe that covering as many americans as we can is a good thing. We need to have as many people as possible included. We still haven't dealt with uncompensated care where others have to cover the costs of those who can't pay.

Speech over.

[TheCat]

Will Weatherford Speaker The Florida House of Representatives is presenting now, after the short break.

[TheCat]

Thinks that allowing kids to stay on parents plans longer and not discriminating against preexisting conditions is a good thing. A good part of the law.

Now on to the exchange...

so far, 4.8 million have received a letter saying their plan has been cancelled but only 100k people have signed up through the exchange.

[TheCat]

On Medicaid:

1990: 70k people on medicaid
today: 3.3 million people on medicaid

We spend $23 billion a year on medicaid. Everywhere else that is struggling is struggling because of medicaid.

Currently, medicaid is a 50/50 match. And, he doesn't think that the Feds will be able to maintain the 90/10 slit for expansion. If they don't it is an additional spend of 3 billion. Asks, "shouldn't we take the time to see how this will impact out state?"

Weatherford, funny...cracks jokes and dynamic speaker.

Wonders why people who should be able to get a low cost subsidized insurance plan on the exchange  should be put on medicaid instead.

If you make less than 12k for year you don't get a subsidized plan you get medicaid. Says, you are creating two americas.

[TheCat]

Hospitals lose money on every medicaid patient they see.

Before we put the state at risk with the expansion of medicaid we should be looking at other alternatives. And, if you think that expanding medicaid will solve our healthcare program it won't.

How should we do this?

State driven with a focus on driving cost down. We shouldn't discriminate against the poor.

The long term answer to this problem is investing in education...which leads to better jobs.

[TheCat]

Don Gaetz President The Florida Senate
- speaking now.

In 2006, Don Gaetz became the first non-legislator in more than 50 years to be elected to the Florida Senate without opposition. He was reelected to represent his Northwest Florida district in 2010 and 2012. Additionally, in November 2012, Senator Gaetz was unanimously elected by his colleagues to serve a two year term as President of the Florida Senate.
Before being elected to the Senate, President Gaetz was the Superintendent of the Okaloosa County School District. During his term of office from 2000 to 2006 Okaloosa Schools became the highest performing public school system in Florida and won numerous national awards for academic excellence.

President Gaetz is the retired co-founder and vice chairman of a multi-state health care corporation and is a former president of the National Hospice Organization. He is a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Niceville. President Gaetz and his wife, Victoria, have two children. His son, Matt Gaetz is State Representative for District 4 in Northwest Florida.

[TheCat]

It's a little difficult to listen to Gaetz and I am mostly not listening. He has an old school, southern Shakespearian style.

This is his approximate speech:

http://issuu.com/arashkamiar/docs/ju_ppi_healthcare_policy_conference_0c7f2c84b6f060

[TheCat]

It's a very political sounding speech. Any considerable points are lost in the noise of his speaking style.

Almost, reminiscent of Clint Eastwood's speech at the republican convention. The one where the imaginary Barak Obama is seated in a real chair. Gaetz had a series of questions for Secretary Sebelius to which all of her government answers were "no".

[TheCat]

We are onto panel time with Weatherford, Geraghty, Koles and Gaetz. The previous speakers.

[TheCat]

Geraghty says that the reason why so much face time is required for patient care is because that is where payment happens. The more digital payment become the more home based/virtual care we can have the lower prices can be lowered.

[TheCat]

Koles:

5% of floridians are really sick. 20% are the rising risk. How do we figure out the really risky people in the 20%. They come at us out of nowhere. Some it is going to become really creepy and big brotherish to find out who those people are.

End of session one!

This is awesome. I think we are on to a lunch break.

[TheCat]

We're on to the 2nd session. Shorter presentations than a panel discussion.

On the stage:

Russ Armistead: CEO UF Health
Moody Chisholm: CEO St. Vincent Healthcare
Jim O'Loughlin: CEO, Memorial Hospital
Dr. William Rupp: CEO, Mayor Clinic in Florida
Hugh Greene, CEO Baptist Health