Program Directors:
Jeffrey E. Kaufman, M.D., Chairman, WSAUA Health Policy Committee, Past-President AACU & CUA
Eugene Rhee, M.D., President, California Urological Association

The Future of Health Care Delivery in America

A storm of change began to sweep the American health care system after the passage of the Affordable Care Act last year, much of which has already been felt in our offices. Although the future is still unclear, there's no doubt we all face a myriad of new obstacles that must be overcome if we wish to continue to practice urology successfully.

In addition to an up to the moment review of recent legislative developments, this year's health policy forum takes advantage of our meeting location in Vancouver, B.C. to offer some fascinating insights into the distinctions between the historic Canadian single payer system and where we think urologic care delivery is headed in the United States in 2011 and beyond. Even though Congress didn't pass a single payer, universal coverage, government sponsored system as some had wanted, there's no doubt that massive increases in oversight, regulation and government control of health care delivery are progressively making these two systems look similar. We may learn a lot from the Canadian urologic experience.

We'll also have a presentation by the attorney most involved with the legal challenges to the in office ancillary service exemption in Maryland and Florida to summarize urology's experience. Those who wish urologists to cease imaging and pathology services and to withdraw from radiation oncology treatment are likely to bring this battle to the western states. It is important to understand what legal and legislative strategies are open to us in the event.

Be sure you and/or your office manager attend the morning practice management sessions including coding and fee schedule updates and the presentations of our Inaugural health policy essay competition contestants. And finally, we've invited the president of the Urology Association of Physician Assistants to give us a presentation on best practices, cost and income, education and legal aspects of non-physician providers in urologic practices.

No matter where you are in your practice life cycle and irrespective of the structure of your practice, you'll find something of value to take home in the 2011 Western Section Health Policy Forum.