Seismic shifts are coming to Medicare. Thanks to the recent Supreme Court decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, many fundamental changes in the program are already under way. And depending on how the November elections play out, many more could soon be on the horizon.
Journalists and editors who may be called upon to cover Medicare are invited to learn more about this complex program at a unique event on the campus of the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor this fall.
On Oct. 2, 2012, The Medicare NewsGroup, in partnership with the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation, will host a free regional symposium for journalists on the basics of Medicare reform, economics, policies and quality initiatives.
Attendees will learn about the most pressing Medicare issues from industry experts and those on the front lines of change in the program. The event will include speakers from AARP Michigan, the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation, the University of Michigan Health System and the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
The event will be comprised of six dynamic sessions designed to give journalists a firm grounding in some of the most controversial aspects of the program. Sessions will include various presentation formats such as Q&A discussions and panel forum sessions. Journalists will leave each session with takeaways that will include story ideas, source lists, Medicare fact sheets and resource links.
“Our goal is to give journalists, who sometimes are thrown into the beat with limited resources and research budgets, an intensive Medicare basics course so they can hit the ground running when it comes to Medicare reporting,” says EJ Mitchell, managing editor of The Medicare NewsGroup. “We hope the journalists who participate will feel more informed about the topic, and will become more comfortable writing articles and analyses on the program and the politics surrounding it.”
Event Information
Time: Program will run from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Date: Tuesday, October 2
Price: Free
Location: University of Michigan–Ann Arbor (specific campus venue to be announced at a later date)
Registration: Contact Alison Szot, senior editor at The Medicare NewsGroup, at 847-786-4480 or aszot@medicarenewsgroup.com
About The Medicare NewsGroup
Created by journalists, for journalists, The Medicare NewsGroup is an independent resource for Medicare news, policy and legislation with original and curated content. Optimized for reporters, writers, bloggers and editors who produce news and commentary on Medicare, The website of the Medicare NewsGroup aims to be a digital encyclopedia of Medicare that organizes past, current and future information, news, events, research and legislation relating to the topic.