In the District of Columbia, about 10 percent of the population is without health coverage. This uninsured population is more likely to receive half as much care as those who are insured, so the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB), in collaboration with the DC Department of Health (DOH), is placing additional focus on outreach to the District’s uninsured during the city’s first Health Insurance Awareness Month in a public forum on universal health coverage. This meeting will address among other issues whether universal health coverage is a viable policy option for the District of Columbia.

WHAT:

Public Health Forum on Universal Health Coverage is a discussion among local policymakers on universal health coverage. See program agenda below.

WHERE:

DC Department of Health
825 North Capitol Street, NE
Room 2125
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 671-5000

WHEN:

Thursday, November 15, 2007
10 am to 12 pm

WHO:

Speakers:
Thomas E. Hampton, Commissioner, DISB
Robert Maruca, Senior Deputy Director, DC DOH Medical Assistance Administration
Enrique Martinez-Vidal, Director, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Coverage Initiatives (SCI) program
Randall R. Bovbjerg, The Urban Institute
Barbara A. Ormond, The Urban Institute
Heather Reffett, Policy Analyst, DC DOH

PROGRAM:

10:00 am: Introduction
10:05 – 10:25: Current Expansion Efforts   
10:25 – 10:45: Other State Experiences
10:45 – 11:00: Findings of the State Planning Grant 
11:00 – 12:00: Open Discussion 

New Web Portal
This forum coincides with the new Health Insurance Web Portal that will launch later this month. DISB, DOH and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer are developing a one-stop Internet site containing  information on private and public health programs that will serve as a comprehensive guide for consumers, employers, researchers and lawmakers seeking to understand the health insurance coverage options and programs in the District. It will be hosted at dc.gov.

Any District resident needing more information on Health Insurance Awareness Month should contact DISB’s Insurance Bureau at (202) 727-8000. For more information on any type of insurance, securities or banking issues, visit DISB’s website at disb.dc.gov.