Congressional Health Policy Education Program

The event — a discussion between Dr. Marty Makary and Paragon’s President Brian Blase, PhD — will showcase examples of when medical consensus was wrong and how medical recommendations can be influenced by policymaking.

The event unites former Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretaries Alex Azar and Kathleen Sebelius for a discussion moderated by Brian Blase of Paragon Health Institute. Despite serving under presidents of different parties, the secretaries recently published a STAT column where they agreed that enacting site-neutral payments in Medicare is a crucial step to reduce health care costs for patients and taxpayers.

The event will feature a discussion between Theo, Brian, and Alye Mlinar from Mehlman Consulting, a former staffer for Leader Steve Scalise Ways and the Committee on Ways and Means. Please feel free to share this invite with any health care staffer you think would be interested.

This important lunchtime discussion will cover the federal budget deficit, projected growth of federal debt, and what policymakers should consider to put the U.S. budget on a sustainable trajectory.

Medicare Advantage is the most popular way for seniors to receive Medicare. While MA can be a vehicle for broader Medicare reforms, there are some problems that policymakers can address that would improve the program and reduce costs. In this event, Paragon’s Demetrios Kouzoukas, Joe Albanese, and Theo Merkel will discuss Paragon’s upcoming paper on MA reform and how improving the program can transform the Medicare program as a whole.

This event will kick off Paragon’s 2024 season of in-person educational events. Attendees will hear presentations from some of the nation’s leading health policy experts about important health policy issues facing Congress and the country in 2024 and 2025, as well as a recap of health policy developments over the past year.

This event will be the follow-up in a series on drug pricing and will focus on supply-side issues affecting the debate. The event will be hosted by Theo Merkel, who will be joined by special guest Lowell Schiller.

Paragon’s Theo Merkel, a key architect of the price transparency rules enacted by the Trump Administration, will outline price transparency policies being considered by Congress. He recently authored a report on the issue for Paragon titled Health Care Price Transparency: Achievements, Challenges, and Next Steps. Paragon President Brian Blase will join Theo in the presentation.

This event will be the first in a series on the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) as well as an introductory look at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The event will be hosted by Drew Keyes, who will be joined by Dr. Joel Zinberg and Bryan Shuy.

The briefing will be hosted by Paragon’s Brian Blase and Gary Alexander, who will interview state Medicaid officials Kelly Garcia and Janet Mann on the redetermination process.

This event will be the first in a series on drug pricing and will focus on demand side issues. Paragon will host a future session on supply side questions. The event will be hosted by Theo Merkel, who will be joined once again by John Brooks.

During the event, Congressional health staff will have be given an overview of Medicare Advantage, including its structure and financing and CMS’ role in oversight and regulation.

During the event, Congressional health staff will had the opportunity to dive into health care policy as it relates to the federal budget.

During the event, Congressional health staff will have the opportunity to attend four seminars and conversations introducing them to health care policy as it relates to private health care and Medicaid, Medicare, public health and well-being, and how to be an effective health care policy staffer.

During the event, Congressional health staff will had the opportunity to learn from and connect with experts with extensive knowledge about the growing federal health spending crisis and what Congress can do to stem the tide.

During this event, Congressional health staff will had the opportunity to learn from and connect with leading health care policy staff.

This event offered an overview of trends in Medicaid, including the growth of the funding mechanism, and how they impact state programs.

This event explained what Congressional health staff need to know about the executive branch.