ProfNet Experts Available on Obamacare, Cosmetic Treatments, Travel Destinations, More

NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area.

You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network – it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform.

EXPERT ALERTS

• Techniques and Trends in Cosmetic Treatments
• Meryl Streep Trashes Trump at Golden Globes: Should Celebrities/Businesses Talk Politics?
• How to Find the Best Travel Discounts
• Panama City as a Travel Destination
• Realizing Your Dreams
• Why and How the Bumblebee Became an Endangered Species
• Five Ways to Improve Your Mental Health in 2017

EXPERT ROUNDUP

• The Future of Obamacare (21 experts)

MEDIA JOBS

• Politics Reporter – The Independent (DC)
• Reporter – Credit Union Journal (NY)
• Reporter – Law360 (CA)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• 2016 Rewind: A Look Back at the Year in Media
• How to Grow Your Blog With a Month-by-Month Action Plan
• Blog Profiles: Fitness Blogs

EXPERT ALERTS:

Techniques and Trends in Cosmetic Treatments
Dr. Kenneth SteinsapirInventor
Microdroplet Lift
"Many patients, although they very much like Botox for reducing lines, wish certain things about it were different -- primarily the freezing effect and recruitment lines. Cosmetic trends are trending towards more natural results."Dr. Steinsapir can discuss techniques and trends as they relate to cosmetic treatments, both surgical and non-invasive. He can also discuss the differences between standard Botox and other cosmetic botulinum toxin treatments and the Microdroplet Lift, the first new treatment approach to cosmetic botulinum toxin treatment in 20 years. He will also be presenting at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (Feb. 9-11 in San Diego). Dr. Steinsapir is a multi-fellowship-trained oculofacial surgeon with a private practice located in Beverly Hills, where he specializes in custom-tailored facial and eyelid surgeries, innovative revisional eyelid surgery, and advanced minimally invasive treatments like the Microdroplet Lift, and under-eye dark circle correction with hyaluronic acid fillers like his Deep Fill method. Dr. Steinsapir's impressive educational background includes a medical degree from UCLA; a Residency in Ophthalmology at the University of Chicago; a two-year fellowship in orbital surgery and a one-year fellowship in oculofacial plastic surgery at UCLA's prestigious Jules Stein Eye Institute; and an additional two years of fellowship training with an acclaimed cosmetic surgeon in Rancho Mirage. He is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, and is a Fellow of the American Society for Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Steinsapir is media-trained and quick to turn around media inquiries.
Bio: http://www.lidlift.com/plastic-surgeon-beverly-hills/
Website: http://www.lidlift.com/
Contact: Danielle Caldwell, [email protected]

Meryl Streep Trashes Trump at Golden Globes: Should Celebrities/Businesses Talk Politics?Ryan McCormickCo-Founder
Goldman McCormick Public Relations
"Unless your targeted audience or customer based is endeared to particular set of political vales, there's no reason ever to publicly tout your political perspectives. In the short term, you may experience a feel-good ego trip as one or more individuals praise you for expressing values similar to theirs. However, in the long term, you stand to permanently lose business and fans (recently as in the case of Meryl Streep's condemnation of Donald Trump at the Golden Globes despite its warm crowd reception). Whether you're an actor or business owner, your number one goal should be to provide excellent service and value to your fans/customers. Unnecessarily evoking a negative emotional reaction from people by pushing your political values may drive them into the arms of a competitor, even if you are the superior service provider. There are some effective ways for celebrities and businesses to make a substantial impact towards the political causes they believe in without tweeting up a storm: 1) Maximize your prestige and power by providing excellent service to as many people as possible. Appealing to all should have a positive impact on your bottom line. 2) Use the extra revenue generated by appealing to all and write bigger checks to individuals, political parties, and causes that you support. We recommend doing this quietly. 3) Carry yourself with kindness, honor, and integrity. If you have political passions and you're not pushing them on others, you might be surprised at how many more people may give your ideals a second look because of how you conduct yourself. The bottom line is that celebrities and businesses are better off not publicly touting their political perspectives. Sharing them among close-knit family, friends, and likeminded associates is a much better and more appropriate platform."
McCormick is reputation management specialist and co-founder of Goldman McCormick Public Relations.
Website: www.goldmanmccormick.com
Contact: [email protected]

How to Find the Best Travel DiscountsClem BasonCEO
goSeek
"Consumers are searching a large and ever-increasing number of travel sites before actually booking, seeking the best value. Yet even after all that searching, many are still not satisfied with the value of their travel purchase.  In fact, over half are dissatisfied. There are hidden discounts out there everywhere. You just have to know where to look."
As the former president of Hotwire.com and current CEO of hotel search site goSeek.com, Bason is a fantastic resource on finding great deals when traveling -- from hotels to rental cars, flights and beyond. He is based in San Francisco.
Website: www.goseek.com
Contact: Tory Lorance Weiss, [email protected]

Panama City as a Travel DestinationRob HarperCo-Owner, Director of Business Development
NAMU Travel
"Panama City has seen tremendous economic growth the last 10 years, ranking among the top five in Latin America for nearly the entire decade. As business poured in, the city eventually became over-built, resulting in a significant decline in hotel prices. Additionally, Panama is the perfect place to combine a vacation feel (adventure and relaxation) with an educational experience. Keep in mind that the U.S. military was in Panama for more than 100 years, constructing and managing the Panama Canal. There are very few places in Latin America where so much rich U.S. history can be seen. In fact, the Canal just underwent its first major expansion since the original construction days, and the viewing opportunities to see both the old and the new are really interesting."
Based in Panama City, Harper is an expert on travel to Central America (especially to Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama). He can speak to what travelers look for when booking a customized vacation (i.e., trust, no hidden fees, stress-free, etc.), trends in sustainable/responsible travel, entrepreneurship in the tourism industry, ex-pats starting businesses in Central America, etc. He is fluent in Spanish.
Website: www.namutravel.com
Contact: Tory Lorance Weiss, [email protected]

Realizing Your DreamsDaniel Christian BradleyCEO, Founder, Youth Engagement Specialist
DreamsWork, Inc.
"Don't allow your position to dictate your perception – instead, use your perception to define your position. In other words, don't allow what you see to make you too fearful to try. Instead, use the fear in what you see as fuel for your ambition to reach your goals. Dreaming is scary business. It's literally peeping into the possibility and seeing it as probability."
Bradley is an agent for social change. With more than 15 years of experience in community organizing, violence prevention, youth engagement strategies, and social activism, he has worn many hats, and helped transform many lives. Through his work, he has empowered hundreds of youth to realize their dreams, shifting them from a life of generational poverty and cultural violence to one of academic and civic success. In addition to his roles as author, activist, preacher, and spiritual tailor, Bradley is the CEO and Founder of Dreams Work, Inc., a nonprofit organization that informs, enlightens and exposes youth to critical social issues facing their communities. He also works with the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation as the National Coordinator for the Black Youth Vote Black Male Initiative. He recently published "Tailored Dreams," a book to motivate "young dreamers" to pursue -- and realize -- their dreams. He studied Urban Analysis and Community Development at Georgetown University and he is currently pursuing the completion of his degree in Biblical Studies at Lancaster Bible College. In June of 2016, Bradley graduated from the Skinner Leadership Institute Master's Series for Distinguished Leaders under the leadership of Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner.
Contact: Penny Sansevieri, [email protected]

Why and How the Bumblebee Became an Endangered SpeciesRobert GegearAssistant Professor Biology and Biotechnology
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
"It's going to take the community to help in this cause. With so much attention to bee decline, it's a good time to get the public on board. When I talk about my work, they see beyond 'Let's kill that bee because it's going to sting me!' They become aware of its importance and understand that it's responsible for one-third of what we eat.
Gegear has made it his life's work to understand the mind of bees while also assessing threats to bee populations. Recently he has been engaging "citizen scientists" in monitoring bee populations. He has put together a guide to the eastern bumblebees, and developed a system that makes it simple for anyone to identify the species they encounter and transmit their counts to a central database at WPI.
Website: www.wpi.edu
Contact: Colleen Wamback, [email protected]

Five Ways to Improve Your Mental Health in 2017
Dr. Frieda BirnbaumResearch Psychologist, PsychoanalystDr. Birnbaum offers five ways to improve your mental health in 2017: "1) Begin to meditate: Find a little as 15 minutes a day to quiet your mind and mediate. Meditation can reduce stress and help you take a deserved break from your phones, TV, and other daily distractions. 2) Face one fear: When we challenge ourselves and when we push out of our comfort zones, we grow. Write down a list of all of your fears (public speaking, the dark, etc.) and make a concerted attempt to face one of them. When you confront fear successfully, it can affect all aspects of your life for the better, as well give you a confidence boost. 3) Detach from social media: Some people regularly post on social media faux versions of who they really are. In 2017, try taking a break from social media or use it less. Also, when someone has a birthday, instead of writing a two-sentence "Happy Birthday!" line on their Facebook page, call that person or see them face-to-face to tell them. 4) Reconnect: Reach out to friends, relatives or even acquaintances that you haven't spoken with in a long time. It will make you feel good. Also, try re-taking up a hobby or an activity you enjoyed when you were younger. Reconnect to people, places, and activities that made you feel happy. 5) Forgive and seek forgiveness: If someone from your past or present has hurt you, do whatever you can to take steps towards forgiving them (even if they're not seeking forgiveness). A lot of inner anguish and pain can result from the negative emotions we feel about others. In addition to forgiving others, try to forgive yourself for things you are feeling guilty about. If you have hurt others, seek them out and tell them how sorry you are. By doing this you may not only be bringing a substantial amount of peace to them but, to you as well."
Based in the New York metro area, Dr. Birnbaum is author of "Life Begins at 60: A New View on Motherhood, Marriage, and Reinventing Ourselves." She's an expert on depression, women's issues, and attaining happiness. She is available for interviews in studio, via Satellite or Skype.
Contact: Ryan McCormick, [email protected]

EXPERT ROUNDUP: The Future of Obamacare (21 experts)

Following are experts from the ProfNet network who are available for interviews on the future of the Affordable Care Act, the likelihood of a repeal, what a new plan could look like, and more:

David Bowen, MD
Executive Vice President and Global Practice Director for Healthcare
Hill+Knowlton StrategiesDr. Bowen's involvement with the Affordable Care Act began with a blank sheet of paper and a cappuccino. As health policy director for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee for Sen. Edward M. (Ted) Kennedy, Dr. Bowen had a key role in what became known as Obamacare, from writing the first draft of the ACA to negotiating its key provisions, and shepherding the bill through Congress. Earlier in that role he was also responsible for legislation and policy on issues that included drug safety and health information technology. After leaving government, he went to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as the deputy director of global health policy and advocacy, and then became CEO of the nonprofit Malaria No More. His doctorate is in neurobiology. He was a visiting faculty member at Harvard Medical School. Currently, Dr. Bowen is based in Washington and leads the global healthcare practice at global communications consultancy Hill+Knowlton Strategies.
Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bowen-0bba3073
Contacts: Bianca Hutton, [email protected], or Rebecca Ballard, [email protected]

Al JacksonExecutive Vice President, Public Affairs
Spectrum Science
"As Republicans take the first steps toward fulfilling their repeated promise to 'repeal and replace' Obamacare, we are all reminded yet again that this is complicated stuff. We remember the debate over Obamacare, but also the discussions in 1993 and 1994 when President Bill Clinton and then First Lady Hillary Clinton tried health care reform the first time. Republicans, who will now have to drive the bus, need to figure out how to protect the pieces everyone likes without those they have campaigned against. Requiring insurers to ignore pre-existing conditions and outlawing lifetime limits on coverage are provisions embraced by Trump and Hillary supporters alike. Keeping those provisions without the mandate so roundly opposed by Trump supporters will, one would think, have to mean dramatically higher -- not lower -- insurance premiums. Further, well over half of the estimated 22 million Americans who are covered through Obamacare get their insurance as a result of Medicaid expansion. But we know most Republican governors (with the notable exception of Vice President Elect Mike Pence) have rejected Medicaid expansion. How will that needle be threaded? I don't know anyone who believes the Affordable Care Act is working perfectly. But replacing it with something better, a plan that adheres to Republican principles while maintaining coverage for those who already have it, will be even harder than getting Obamacare passed in the first place."
A veteran Washington, D.C., healthcare public affairs executive, Jackson has nearly 30 years' experience in public affairs, issues management, health advocacy and legislative and grassroots communications. Jackson currently leads the Spectrum Science's Public Affairs practice. Spectrum Science is a leading independent health and science public relations agency, committed to achieving the goals of clients who are involved with issues, products, provider services or research in life and human health sciences.
Contact: Michelle Anderson, [email protected]

Jeff DrummondHealth Care AttorneyJackson Walker in Dallas
"Nobody knows for sure what will happen, because this is a very unique situation with a president who has no political track record. However, I predict: 1) Repeal is almost entirely certain, and will be near immediate with the new Congress. 2) It will be done using the same reconciliation technique that allowed it to pass in the first place, thus avoiding the filibuster and the need for 60 votes in the Senate. 3) The effective date of the repeal provisions will be phased in over time, with very few if any immediately repealed, to allow the new Congress time to fashion replacement parts. 4) Much (maybe most, depending on how you measure it) of the ACA will be replaced by similar new legislation. 5) Keeping children insured on their parents' insurance until age 26 and elimination of lifetime limits will reappear in the replacement legislation. 6) Something looking like a pre-existing condition ban will be part of the replacement legislation, but it will look a lot more like HIPAA's 'portability' provisions (requiring previous group coverage). 7) The individual mandate will go away and won't be replaced. 8) Any really new provisions will be designed to increase insurance competition, such as interstate insurance sales."
Drummond represents doctors, hospitals and other health care facilities in transactional and regulatory matters. He teaches graduate courses in health law, policy and regulation at UNT-Dallas. Since 2002, he has written a blog on HIPAA matters, and regularly tweets about HIPAA.
Blog: http://hipaablog.blogspot.com
Twitter: @JeffDrummond
Contact: Kit Frieden, [email protected]

Hector De La TorreExecutive Director
Transamerica Center for Health Studies
"There is talk of repeal-and-replace for the Affordable Care Act, and many are looking for insights into what the 'replace' policies will be. While none of us has a crystal ball, we can look to previous legislative action, rather than rhetoric, from those who will lead these efforts for an idea of what to expect. Many of the proposals from the House and Senate eliminate both the individual mandate to have insurance or pay a tax penalty and subsidies for purchasing a plan through a health insurance Exchange. There is also support among Republican leadership for a move away from guaranteed issue of health insurance regardless of preexisting conditions to a continuous coverage requirement for those with preexisting conditions." (Quote from FDA/CMA Summit panel in December 2016.)
De La Torre is available to address health care policy, ACA/Obamacare, Medicare/Medicaid, state exchanges, impact of Trump administration, and impact of repealing the ACA on consumers and businesses. As executive director at Transamerica Center for Health Studies (a non-profit, non-partisan organization), De La Torre is focused on helping consumers and businesses navigate the healthcare landscape. He's a health policy and health insurance expert and can speak to public- and private-sector impacts of the evolving landscape. Among his accomplishments as an elected official in the state of California were expanding access to doctors in underserved communities, consumer protections against retroactive cancellation of health insurance, and supporting facilities improvements at Children's Hospitals. He appears frequently in the media, at industry events and regularly releases research and whitepapers. He is fluent in Spanish and English.
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/hectordelatorre
Contact: Meghan Graham, [email protected]

Cori UccelloSenior Health Fellow
American Academy of Actuaries
Uccello is available to discuss the potential consequences of repealing the Affordable Care Act without an immediate replacement, including the effects on the individual market for health insurance: "With plans for repeal of all or part of the ACA being prioritized for action early in the 115th Congress, the Academy urges members of Congress to consider what would be needed should a repeal proposal not include significant measures to prevent substantial disruption and instability in the individual market. Avoiding these consequences means having in place measures to incentivize enrollment and prevent adverse selection. Delaying the effective date of repeal while a replacement is worked out likely won't be enough to assure the stability and sustainability of the individual market."
Uccello can also discuss the features and risks of different options that have been proposed as part of a replacement for the ACA, such as proposals to expand the selling of insurance across state lines.
ProfNet Profile: http://www.profnetconnect.com/coriuccello
Contact: David Mendes, [email protected]

Harry NelsonFounding and Managing PartnerNelson Hardiman, Los Angeles
"Obamacare was only a partial fix for U.S. healthcare, improving access but failing to improve affordability. As the story of Trumpcare unfolds, we expect the opposite: progress on affordability and lost ground on access. The real solution will take the courage to talk across the silos of U.S. politics, something Americans needs to do themselves because our politicians are incapable of doing so."
One of the nation's leading healthcare attorneys, Nelson is the author of the upcoming book, "From Obamacare to Trumpcare: Why You Should Care," which looks at how healthcare became so broken, how it led to Obamacare and, most interesting, how he foresees it changing under Trump. Nelson offers a point-by-point breakdown of what the impact on healthcare will be if Trump and the Republicans do this.
Nelson has a track record of real leadership at the nexus of healthcare and business challenges, focusing on federal and state regulatory compliance, business strategy, and developing practical solutions to vexing industry problems. He regularly advises a broad range of healthcare, life science, and technology companies (as well as their investors). He has deep experience working with entrepreneurial healthcare ventures, including telehealth issues and new business models. He also has extensive experience defending government investigations and enforcement actions, and has forged strong relationships with regulators across many healthcare sectors. His practice has extended to counseling healthcare companies in matters related to professional and facility licensing (including physicians, behavioral health, long-term care, and pharmacies), Medicare and private insurance reimbursement, FDA and DEA compliance, HIPAA and data privacy and security issues. He has developed extensive resources to facilitate compliance, including the development of compliance programs for hundreds of healthcare businesses. He has also launched a number of healthcare consulting and investment fund firms, including Compliagent, The Rx4 Group, and Adaptive Healthcare.
Full Bio: http://www.nelsonhardiman.com/attorney/harry-nelson/
Contact: Olivier Gibbons, Esq., [email protected]

Vernita ToddSenior Vice President, External Affairs
Health Center Partners of Southern California
"Across healthcare professionals, elected officials and appointed policy makers, most can agree that our country's current healthcare funding model is unsustainable. Under the new administration, we can expect the Affordable Care Act to be repealed. However, because healthy people are the foundation of a flourishing economy, it is imperative that Medicare and Medicaid continue to be funded in order to ensure access to quality, affordable healthcare services for all. It is crucial for all stakeholders, including those of us immersed in the realities of federally qualified health centers, to work collaboratively with policy makers to identify fiscally prudent solutions to safeguard affordable health care for everyone across the economic spectrum."
Health Center Partners is a consortium of federally qualified community health centers in Southern California that serve nearly 800,000 patients. Health Center Partners serves as a catalyst for transforming and enhancing primary care by helping members deliver quality health care to the safety-net population, through innovative programs, resources and advocacy. In addition to her role at Health Center Partners, Todd is a member of the National Association of Community Health Centers and previously served 10 years as CEO of the Heart City Health Center in Indiana. She can offer an objective and accurate view of the realities of the healthcare system in the U.S. and share what potential repeal and replace models may look like, as well as the impact those models would have on American economy and communities.
Contact: Emily Lynn Ashley, [email protected]

Dr. David KashmerChief of Surgery
Signature Healthcare, Brockton, Mass.
When he's not answering the call of duty as a trauma and acute-care surgeon, Dr. Kashmer spends his time coaching the industry on how to improve healthcare quality. Like many of us, Dr. Kashmer is keeping a close eye on what Dr. Tom Price and the Trump administration will implement and the effects it will have our healthcare system, including costs. However, Dr. Kashmer believes the solution to keeping costs down now is to improve the quality of our healthcare system: "The bottom line is, come Inauguration Day, healthcare colleagues need to tackle how to recognize and measure the amount of waste and poor quality that exists in our system. Healthcare continues to be a decade or more behind other high-risk industries in terms of quality improvement. As Americans, let's work with Dr. Price and President-elect Donald Trump's leadership to make sure each of these important issues improve afterward."
Each year, thousands of patients in hospitals and treatment facilities die or are seriously injured through errors caused by faulty care systems, outmoded surgical approaches, and medical-process failures. Dr. Kashmer is an excellent source to discuss why these issues need to be addressed now, no matter what happens with the ACA. He is the author of "Volume to Value: Proven Methods for Achieving High Quality in Healthcare," and "The Hidden Curriculum." He writes on quality improvement in healthcare for the Healthcare Quality Blog and is a contributor for The Hill.
Blog: http://thehealthcarequalityblog.com
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Value-Methods-Achieving-Quality-Healthcare-ebook/dp/B01J57WQDW
Contact: Robin Rectenwald, [email protected]

Leslie A. Muller, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Economics
Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, Mich.
"The ACA has many moving parts, and the repeal of just one tenet of the law may have a domino effect within the economy, particularly in the private insurance markets. Firms may also feel the effects, both in their labor market decisions and health insurance offerings. Even if a particular individual or firm is not directly affected by a repeal, the uncertainty that is created can have substantial effects on economic markets."Dr. Muller has conducted several surveys of firm and patient experiences with the Affordable Care Act. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate-level health economics courses analyzing the economic effects of the ACA on firms, health insurance markets, labor markets and patients. She has given several interviews with state and local media on her survey results, as well as the possible economic outcomes of events such as the Supreme Court decision on federal subsidies and 2016's substantial premium increases in the ACA marketplace.
Contact: Dottie Barnes, [email protected]

Cynthia BorrelliPrincipal, Insurance Practice Group
Bressler, Amery & Ross
Borrelli can discuss what will happen with Obamacare and insurance plans under the Trump administration. Borrelli notes that Trump is a Republican so he believes in free competition. He will probably get rid of most of the subsidies embodied in the ACA. By doing that, we take the IRS and the DOL out of having jurisdiction over parts of the ACA. Trump is also likely to support legislation which is dependent upon a private exchange or a series of private exchanges, with free competition setting the price. Companies and even individuals will want to participate. More competition brings the price down and provides a larger community for rating purposes. Borelli says Trump will get rid of the government-funded marketplace, but he has to leave in some ACA parts -- prohibitions on pre-existing conditions, portability, and perhaps employer mandates to continue to promote access to healthcare, etc. He may use the private exchange to cover basics but offer other insurance for serious or even just catastrophic illnesses which creates a federal reinsurance mechanism. To the extent that free competition is ultimately restored and the risk adjustment factors are phased out with respect to the small and individual markets, carriers may see a decrease in the cost of providing the coverage. "My concern is how long this will take while carriers have already made substantial investments in ACA compliance, and what happens to the insured marketplace while realignment is ongoing," she says.
Borrelli's practice focuses on regulation and compliance for insurers, brokers and trade associations in the property/casualty and life and health areas. She has experience in advising clients in matters involving holding company regulation, corporate restructuring, market distribution and regulation of sales practices, product design, anti-trust and restrictive covenants in the insurance arena, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as well as implementing regulations. She is vice president of the Federation of Regulatory Counsel, most recent past chairman of the Board of Directors, and chairs the Admissions Committee. She also chairs the Legal Committee of the National Conference of Insurance Guaranty Funds.
Contact: Andrew Blum, [email protected]

Michael Rosko, PhD
Professor of Health Care Management
Widener University, Chester, Pa.
Rosko shares key features of Obamacare he believes President-elect Trump should consider keeping: "1) Provisions for mandated coverage of pre-existing conditions should not be repealed; however, the only way this works is if most everyone is required to participate. Exceptions could be made for small businesses, because mandated participation for them might drive them out of business. 2) Children under age 26 should also continue to have the option to receive coverage under their parents. This group tends to be very healthy, so it does not cost that much and it may give them access to preventative services, which ultimately help to save money and lives. 3) Value based purchasing and bundling of services should continue as they provide incentives to increase quality and reduce costs."
Other things President-elect Trump should consider regarding healthcare, says Rosko: "1) Allow Medicare to use its purchasing power to drive down Rx prices. 2) Consider single-payer for hospital care or all-payer rate regulation. 3) Consider outcomes research when determining services to be covered. I know Sarah Palin called this 'death panels' and it was a strong and effective soundbite, but this would be a more effective way of rationing our scarce resources. I used the r-word (rationing). While this may frighten some, they do this in the UK, and it works fairly well."
Bio: http://www.widener.edu/academics/faculty/roskom/
Contact: Allyson Roberts, [email protected]

Darrell Spurlock Jr., PhD, RN, NEA-BC, ANEF
Associate Professor of Nursing
Widener University, Chester, Pa.
"Many lesser known and publicized provisions of the ACA have, in many ways, fundamentally reshaped the U.S. healthcare system. These provisions are designed to provide better care at a lower cost, and to more people. The ACA has exerted significant influence on healthcare systems and clinical care providers through payment reforms, quality improvement initiatives, and innovations in health workforce policy and research priorities. Through the use of financial incentives and penalties for hospitals not meeting quality benchmarks set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS), researchers have reported that through 2015, 150,000 hospital re-admissions had been prevented through the use of care coordination and evidence-based clinical treatment strategies. Similar efforts to reduce hospital-acquired harms (like receiving the wrong medication or having an operation at the wrong surgical site) have also shown success, having prevented over 50,000 such events, with an estimated cost avoidance of $12 billion. The ACA has also created structural change to how healthcare is delivered in the United States. We've seen the development of a new type of healthcare organization, the Accountable Care Organization (ACO), designed to bring together hospitals, primary and ambulatory care providers, and rehabilitation agencies to provide care in a collaborative way, across the health continuum – from wellness through illness, and back to wellness. We've also seen promotion of innovations in how primary care is delivered, with initiatives to facilitate creation of "medical homes" where an individual's primary, dental, mental health, and pharmacy care can be provided in a "one stop" setting, and investment in additional Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers (FQHCs) to care for the most vulnerable in our communities. The ACA has also bolstered the healthcare workforce and promoted innovation in research critical to long-term improvements in healthcare quality and cost savings. In an example of the innovation that the ACA promotes, the independent non-profit, nongovernmental Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) was created in 2010 to help people make informed healthcare decisions and improve healthcare delivery and outcomes by producing and promoting high-integrity, evidence-based information that comes from research guided by patients, caregivers, and the broader healthcare community. Though PCORI's work is just beginning, it has funded $670.8 million in projects dedicated to improving healthcare delivery and outcomes."
Bio: http://www.widener.edu/academics/faculty/spurlockd/default.aspx
Contact: Allyson Roberts, [email protected]

Michael La VeanFounder and President
Conceivex – The Conception Kit
"Allowing insurance companies to sell coverage across state lines will drive costs up -- not down. A national insurance market will take the treatment costs in the highest-priced markets (like New York and Boston) and use them as the floor to establish the costs for every other market across the country. In fact, the cost of care in the majority of states will rise to match the higher numbers in just a few states, not the other way around."
La Vean has more than two decades of healthcare and insurance experience, based on his background with several companies he founded that have, and continue to, provide FDA-approved fertility treatment care with insurance co-pays.
Website: http://www.conceptionkit.com
Contact: Michael W. Robinson [email protected]

John DesserVice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy
eHealth
Desser is vice president of government affairs and public policy at eHealth.com, the largest non-government website licensed to sell "Obamacare" health insurance plans. The Affordable Care Act's government-centric approach to health care reform failed because one key customer demographic (Millennials) rejected the products and did not sign up. President-elect Trump's victory now puts tremendous pressure on the private sector to help health reform succeed. If "Trumpcare" fails in the way that "Obamacare" failed, the 2020 election could be referendum on a single-payer health care system.  Desser can talk about what it will take to make Trumpcare succeed where Obamacare failed, as well as the bad insurance products, the bad technology and the bad partnerships between government and the private sector that led to Obamacare's failure.
Website: www.ehealth.com
Contact: Jennifer Werdel, [email protected]

Kosali SimonProfessor of Health Policy and Economics
Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Simon is a nationally known health economist who specializes in the intersection of health insurance/policy with labor markets and has conducted some of the seminal research on the impact of the Affordable Care Act. Her primary research area is applying economic analysis in the context of health insurance and health care policy. She is the 2007 recipient of the John D. Thompson Prize from the Association of University Programs in Health Administration for contributions to health services research. She is a board member of the American Society of Health Economists (ASHEcon), and she serves as the health co-editor for the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management and an Associate Editor of Health Economics.
Bio: https://spea.indiana.edu/faculty-research/directory/profiles/faculty/full-time/simon-kosali.html
Website: https://spea.indiana.edu/
Contact: Kemba Neptune, [email protected]

Deborah Dorman-RodriguezLeader of Healthcare Practice Group
Freeborn & Peters LLP
Dorman-Rodriguez can discuss the following aspects of Obamacare: 1) The future of the ACA: Will the controversial healthcare law be rolled back entirely, or will portions of it remain? If parts are to be replaced, what will the new government potentially propose and how will this affect payors and providers? 2) The future of ACOs: Accountable Care Organizations have seen mixed success. Will these industry innovations remain as a way to help reduce healthcare costs by creating efficiencies? 3) The future of Medicaid/Medicare: What do the results of the election potentially mean for Medicaid and Medicare programs? Could we see a push for privatization? 4) Insurer lawsuits against the government: The DOJ and insurers are currently engaged in litigation over what are known as risk corridor payments. Risk corridor payments are intended to compensate insurers who had excessive losses due to qualified health plans sold on the government-run healthcare exchange. The payments are supposed to be from insurers with qualified health programs that experienced excessive profits. However, due to shortfalls, these payments have not been made in full. Whether the government will continue to defend such litigation or settle remains to be seen.
Dorman-Rodriguez is the former chief legal officer of Health Care Services Corp., the largest customer-owned health insurer in the U.S.
Website: www.freeborn.com
Contact: Keith Ecker, [email protected]

David M. KaufmanMember of Healthcare Practice Group
Freeborn & Peters LLP
Kaufman can discuss the following aspects of Obamacare: 1) The future of the ACA:Will the controversial healthcare law be rolled back entirely, or will portions of it remain? If parts are to be replaced, what will the new government potentially propose and how will this affect payors and providers? 2) The future of ACOs:Accountable Care Organizations have seen mixed success. Will these industry innovations remain as a way to help reduce healthcare costs by creating efficiencies? 3) The future of Medicaid/Medicare:What do the results of the election potentially mean for Medicaid and Medicare programs? Could we see a push for privatization? 4) Insurer lawsuits against the government:The DOJ and insurers are currently engaged in litigation over what are known as risk corridor payments. Risk corridor payments are intended to compensate insurers who had excessive losses due to qualified health plans sold on the government-run healthcare exchange. The payments are supposed to be from insurers with qualified health programs that experienced excessive profits. However, due to shortfalls, these payments have not been made in full. Whether the government will continue to defend such litigation or settle remains to be seen.
Kaufman is a partner in Freeborn's Healthcare Practice Group and formerly served as the general counsel of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois, as well as general counsel to the New Mexico State Corporation Commission, counsel to the New Mexico Superintendent of Insurance, and an assistant attorney general for the State of New Mexico.
Website: www.freeborn.com
Contact: Keith Ecker, [email protected]