The Dollars and Sense of Prevention: A Primer for Health Policy Makers

Preventing disease is often cited as a way to slow U.S. health care spending growth—or at least generate better value for the $2.2 trillion spent annually on health care in the United States. The public and policy makers often receive mixed messages about the costs and benefits of prevention and chronic care management. As health care reform moves forward, the role of prevention and improved care management in a revamped U.S. health system is a key issue for policy makers to understand. This conference will provide a primer on the potential of prevention and improved care for patients with chronic conditions to add value to the health system.

Moderated by HSC President Paul B. Ginsburg, Ph.D., the conference will convene with a keynote address by Steven H. Woolf, M.D., M.P.H., professor of family medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, and lead author of "The Economic Argument for Disease Prevention: Distinguishing Between Value and Savings." The keynote will be followed by an expert panel that will discuss why many patients don't receive appropriate preventive care; how coverage and benefit structures affect patient access and adherence to recommended care; and how the Congressional Budget Office scores proposals for preventive services. Panelists include:

• A. Mark Fendrick, M.D., professor, internal medicine and health management and policy, University of Michigan.
• Jason Spangler, M.D., M.P.H., managing senior fellow, Partnership for Prevention.
• Chapin White, Ph.D., analyst, Congressional Budget Office.

The June 8 conference will be the third of four conferences organized and conducted by HSC and sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), DMAA-The Care Continuum Alliance and the American College of Preventive Medicine. Under the sponsorship arrangement, HSC and the three sponsoring organizations jointly choose the conference topics, while HSC is solely responsible for organizing and conducting the conferences.