The second communitywide forum on health-care costs in three years will be held Nov. 8 by the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce.
The free presentation will take place from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at the Downtown Marriott. The 2009 event drew more than 200 attendees.
Panel participants include Paul Wiles, president and chief executive of Novant Health Inc., and Dr. John McConnell, chief executive of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
The other participants will be Keith Kiser, senior vice president for BB&T Insurance Services, and Lisa Snowden, senior vice president of Piedmont Federal Savings Bank. Brad Wilson, president and chief executive of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, will serve as moderator.
The focus of the forum, as in 2009, will be on key drivers of rising medical costs, ways employers can help curb medical spending, and what to expect from health-care reforms.
"The rising cost of health care is a crucial issue for our community, and all businesses should be concerned about its impacts," says Gayle Anderson, the chamber's president and chief executive. "We are fortunate to have such an esteemed and expert panel offer their insights and advice to the public."
Chad Campbell, spokesman for Wake Forest Baptist, said McConnell chose to participate in the forum to reflect the "serious challenge for American businesses" that rising health-care costs represent.
"Providers of health care, insurers and businesses need to tackle this challenge together," he said.
At the 2009 forum, some speakers cited Medicare and lowered reimbursement rates over time in making their points that the intervention by the federal government in health care could do harm as well as good.
Among the potential unintended consequences mentioned: more people choosing a government-controlled health-care option than the system can handle; a higher demand for services possibly leading to longer wait time for appointments; and less money for medical innovation.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement