Released: January 9, 2007

The Eleventh Annual Health Care Conference, sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Insurance, will bring together national experts, state legislators and state and federal regulators to discuss a variety of health care topics.

The Conference will be held on Tuesday, January 23, at the Holiday Inn Select in Baton Rouge. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Commissioner Donelon will open the conference at 8:30 a.m. and make closing remarks at 3:30 p.m.

Dr. Loren C. Scott, president of Loren C. Scott & Associates, Inc., is the keynote luncheon speaker. Agenda topics include: A New Roadmap for Louisiana's Health Care Delivery System, Quality and the Health Information Technology Movement, Medicare Part D and Louisiana's Private Health Insurance Market. There will also be several exhibitors displaying health products and services.

Anyone interested in attending can contact Vanessa Vince at 225-342-5075 or email hcconference@ldi.state.la.us. The registration form and agenda, along with hotel accommodation information, are listed on the Department of Insurance Web site: www.ldi.state.la.us. All licensed life, health and accident producers who attend will be entitled to earn up to six hours of continuing education credit.

MORE INFORMATION ON HEALTH CARE CONFERENCE AGENDA TOPICS:

A New Roadmap for Louisiana’s Health Care Delivery System

Louisiana’s health care system has been severely impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and now an unprecedented opportunity presents itself to redesign the delivery of health care and to provide new levels of coverage to the uninsured. Panelists will discuss the challenges ahead on the long road to reform.

Quality and the Health Information Technology Movement: Could Louisiana Become a Leader in Technology Modernization Efforts?

The State of Florida is a nationwide leader in the health information technology movement. Following the recent hurricanes, efforts to implement Health Information Technology in Louisiana are now on the fast track. Policy leaders from Louisiana and Florida will discuss the benefits of Health Information Technology for consumers, as well as the recent successes and ongoing challenges of implementation efforts.

Medicare Part D: The Silver Bullet for Seniors?

How have senior citizens fared following the recent implementation of Medicare Part D in terms of availability and affordability of prescription drug coverage? National health policy experts will also debate the possible changes being discussed at a federal level that could impact the long term viability of the program.

Louisiana’s Private Health Insurance Market

Leadership from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, Coventry Health Care of Louisiana, Inc., Humana Inc. and UnitedHealthcare will discuss several aspects of Louisiana’s health insurance marketplace. Among the topics to be discussed are options for employers and consumers struggling to maintain appropriate levels of health insurance coverage and how national industry trends could impact the Louisiana marketplace.