Amerigroup Public Policy Institute Co-Sponsors Summit to Address Long Term Services and Supports In Health Reform

George Mason University, National Advisory Board for Seniors and People with Disabilities Join to Examine Policy Solutions

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 22, 2009) – At a time when health care reform is in the national spotlight, finding ways to improve long term services and supports (LTSS) available for people with serious, chronic illnesses – particularly seniors and people with disabilities – couldn’t be more timely.

A half-day Summit co-sponsored by the Amerigroup Public Policy Institute, the George Mason University Long-Term Care Educational Foundation, and the National Advisory Board on Improving Health Care Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities (NAB), focuses on the role that LTSS should play in ongoing efforts to reform America’s health system.

“Millions of Americans who have serious, long-term health conditions are denied the opportunity to live independently because our health care system is simply not built to meet their needs,” said James G. Carlson, Amerigroup Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “This reduces quality of life and at the same time increases the overall cost of care. We can and must do more to serve some of our most vulnerable fellow citizens.”

Policy experts will convene at The National Capitol Visitors Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2009, to assess the problems that often prevent people who have chronic or complex illnesses from living independently and to spotlight potential solutions to those problems.

Lex Frieden, convener of The National Advisory Board on Improving Health Care Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities, noted that, “Seniors, and people with disabilities, should be at the center of the national debate on reforming health care. By understanding and effectively addressing their concerns, we can offer them more choices and improve their lives substantially, while at the same time lowering the overall cost of their care.”

Topics covered at the Summit include:

• The impact care coordination, house-call primary care and establishing a ‘medical home’ has on the quality and cost of health care for people with chronic illnesses.
• Alternatives to institutional care for people with chronic illnesses.
• How private health insurance and public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid pay for long-term health care programs.

“At this critical time in health reform, it is important that we bring all voices to the table, particularly those representing seniors and people with disabilities, who can offer unique perspectives and keep the dialogue moving toward real action,” said Mark R. Meiners, Ph.D., Professor of Health Administration and Policy at George Mason University, and a member of The National Advisory Board on Improving Health Care Services for Seniors and People with Disabilities.

About the Amerigroup Public Policy Institute

The Public Policy Institute, a joint venture of Amerigroup Corporation and the Amerigroup Foundation, examines a wide range of issues related to Medicaid, Medicare and other government healthcare programs that serve almost 100 million Americans. The Institute’s goal is to identify, assess and promote innovative solutions that help control the cost of Medicaid and Medicare and that help Americans who depend on these programs live healthier, more independent lives.

About George Mason University Long-Term Care Educational Foundation

The mission of the Long-Term Care Educational Foundation is to conduct research and convene educational forums to help public and private stakeholders achieve long-term care financing and delivery system improvements. Forums have focused on Long-Term Care Insurance Partnerships, Medicare Special Needs Plans, and Long-Term Care Integration. The LTCIF operates under the direction of Mark R. Meiners, Professor of Health Administrating and Policy, College of Health and Human Services at George Mason University.

About the National Advisory Board on Improving Health Care Services for Seniors

and People with Disabilities

The National Advisory Board was established by Amerigroup to provide advice and guidance on how to deliver high-quality health care to people with serious, chronic illnesses. Its members include nationally recognized health care policy experts, public officials and advocates for seniors and persons with disabilities. The Board’s convener, Lex Frieden, is Professor of Health Informatics and Rehabilitation at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

About Amerigroup Corporation

Amerigroup Corporation, headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, improves healthcare access and quality for the financially vulnerable, seniors and people with disabilities by developing innovative managed health services for the public sector. Through its subsidiaries, Amerigroup Corporation serves approximately 1.7 million people in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.