April Reform Matters Conference Call Agenda

CONFERENCE CALL AGENDA
Hosted by the National Women’s Law Center
April 12, 2012
3:00 pm Eastern

1. Welcome & Introductions

Introduction

• Dania Palanker, Senior Health Policy Advisor at the National Women’s Law Center

2. Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Women’s Preventive Services

In February, HHS issued a final rule on coverage of preventive services with no cost sharing that included the women’s preventive services recommended by the Institutes of Medicine.  However, the rule mentioned an accommodation for certain religiously affiliated organizations that object to providing contraceptive services with no cost sharing.  This ANPRM is the next step in rulemaking on the accommodation and raises many questions and concerns that need to be addressed.  Comments are due June 19, 2012.

• Gretchen Borchelt, Senior Counsel at the National Women’s Law Center

3. Final Rule on Student Health Plans

The Final Rule on Student Health Plans was issued on March 21, 2012.  This rule says that college health plans must provide the same basic protections as all individual market

plans under the new health care law.  The rule interacts with the Women’s Preventive Services because colleges and universities are allowed the same accommodation to the provision of contraceptive services as employers. 

• Rory O'Sullivan, Research and Policy Director of Young Invincibles

4.  Final Rules on Medicaid Eligibility and Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans

 Final rules have also been released on Medicaid Eligibility and Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans.  These rules present a strong basis for states to move forward with creating Exchanges and planning for the Medicaid expansion.  Some provisions of the rules are Interim Final which means they are open for comment.  Our guests from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities will discuss some of the key issues open for comment.  Comments on the Medicaid rule are May 7, 2012 and comments on the Exchange rule are due May 11, 2012.

• Judy Solomon, Vice President for Health Policy at Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Sara Lueck, Senior Policy Analyst at Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

 5. Updates, announcements, future calls:

To register for upcoming conference calls: http://action.nwlc.org/healthcarereform

To suggest future agenda topics, or make an announcement on a call, please contact us at reformmatters@nwlc.org

 Materials for the Call:

 FAQ on the contraceptive coverage rule: http://www.nwlc.org/resource/contraceptive-coverage-health-care-law-frequently-asked-questions

FAQ on the religious affiliated accommodation: http://www.nwlc.org/resource/contraceptive-coverage-%E2%80%9Caccommodation%E2%80%9D-religiously-affiliated-employers-frequently-asked-qu

FAQ for students at religiously affiliated universities: http://www.nwlc.org/resource/contraceptive-coverage-without-cost-sharing-under-federal-health-care-law-what-students-sho

Young Invincibles Release on Final Rule on Student Health Plans (http://www.younginvincibles.org/News/Releases/FinalCHPR.pdf)

ANPRM on Women’s Preventive Services (http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=CMS-2012-0031-0001)

(http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=CMS-2011-0016-0108)

Final Rule on Medicaid Eligibility (http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=CMS-2011-0139-0489)

Final Rule on Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans (http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=HHS-OS-2011-0020-2420)