California reached a pivotal milestone along the road to health reform implementation recently with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's historic signing of two bills creating the California Health Benefit Exchange.

This Sacramento briefing will examine the central challenges facing the state as it works to establish an operational health benefit exchange by 2014.

Thursday, October 21
12:00 - 2:00 PM
California State Association of Counties Conference Center
1020 11th Street, Second Floor
Downtown Sacramento

To listen in, call 866-244-8528 and use participant pass code 639160.

Participants will provide a synthesis of the design and policy issues that informed California's approach to establishing an exchange. This will include introductory remarks from Kim Belshé, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, as well as perspectives from Jon Kingsdale, former executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector, and Rick Curtis, president of the Institute for Health Policy Solutions. Both Kingsdale and Curtis advised California's Health Reform Task Force this year.

Panelists include:

• Kim Belshé, secretary, California Health and Human Service Agency


• Rick Curtis, president, Institute for Health Policy Solutions


• Patrick Holland, managing director, Wakely Consulting Group and former chief financial officer, Massachusetts Health Connector


• Jon Kingsdale, independent consultant and former executive director, Massachusetts Health Connector


• Marian Mulkey, director, CHCF Health Reform and Public Programs Initiative


• Ed Neuschler, senior program officer, Institute for Health Policy Solutions


• Sumi Sousa, special assistant to Assembly Speaker John Pérez

Lunch will be available starting at 11:15 AM.

We are near capacity for the event and reservations are required. RSVP to Sue Gutierrez of the Center for Health Improvement, and arrive early to guarantee a seat.
Event recording and materials will be made available on this page following the briefing.

California Health Care Foundation - www.chcf.org
Read more: http://www.chcf.org/events/2010/briefing-california-health-benefit-exchange#ixzz12YkbY43p