With reform approaching full implementation, this symposium will analyze cost factors, distinguishing private and public sector growth trajectories and connect health spending growth to the long-run U.S. fiscal crisis.

AARP will host telephone media briefings announcing resources on the Affordable Care Act and its nationwide education efforts. Participants will get access to the online tool in advance of a nationwide rollout on Aug. 13.

The National Press Club plans to webcast live a debate Monday evening over whether federal public affairs offices are crimping the flow of information about the U.S. government. Among the panelists will be AHCJ member Kathryn Foxhall.

Navigators are individuals and entities that will provide unbiased information to consumers about health insurance, the new Health Insurance Marketplace, qualified health plans, and public programs including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. 

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics will release data showing trends in circumcision in the United States. All materials are embargoed until 12:01 a.m., Aug. 22.

The National Business Group on Health will host a press briefing on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 10:00 a.m. EDT at the National Press Club to discuss the results of its annual survey of large employers on health care benefit costs and changes they are making to their programs in the wake of economic uncertainty and rising costs.

As part of its Media Fellowships Program, the Kaiser Family Foundation is organizing a series of interactive webinars exclusively for journalists to address key aspects of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the implications for consumers, and strategies for connecting the dots for different audiences.

The first webinar will take place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 28, and will be an overview of how health reform’s impact will vary for people in different circumstances, including those currently with employer coverage, those who buy their own insurance and those who are currently uninsured. Foundation State Health Policy Director Jennifer Tolbert and Senior Fellow Karen Pollitz will explain the law’s individual mandate requiring most Americans to obtain coverage, as well as the law’s new coverage options, including new state insurance marketplaces, subsidies for people with low- and moderate incomes, and new rules prohibiting insurers from discriminating based on pre-existing conditions. They will answer journalists’ questions about the law as part of the webinar.

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics will release embargoed information about adults’ use of prescription sleep aids in the United States, 2005-10.