19th Annual NBCSL Health Conference to Focus on Raising Our Health Status Through Medical Innovation, Treatment, and Delivery

State legislators set to collaborate with medical, academic and patient communities

INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Black lawmakers from across the United States will convene on October 5, 2012 as the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) hosts its 19^th Annual Black America’s Dialogue on Health Conference at the Indiana State Capitol. Focused on “Raising Our Health Status Through Medical Innovation, Treatment and Delivery,” the event highlights three areas of innovation: 1) expanding research and development pipelines to produce more personalized medicines for African Americans, 2) creating and implementing affordable health insurance exchanges, and 3) coordinating patient-centered healthcare delivery.

“These innovations will allow Americans to live longer, healthier, and more active lives”

“These innovations will allow Americans to live longer, healthier, and more active lives,” said NBCSL President Barbara W. Ballard, Kansas State Representative. President Ballard continued, “For years, our constituents have been telling us about the problems they have in trying to navigate a healthcare system that has failed them. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, we finally have the tools and resources we need to address their issues. It is so gratifying to be able to go back to my constituents with life-changing solutions in hand.”

NBCSL legislators will discuss the following:

• How to strengthen partnerships between the private sector, federal government, major research institutions already receiving federal research grants, and Historically Black Colleges Universities that already serve vulnerable populations, in order to produce more personalized medicines for African Americans and other communities of color.
• How to help more Americans gain insurance coverage by implementing state-established health insurance exchanges.
• How to increase access to patient-centered care and treatment by implementing Accountable Care Organizations, which coordinate care between primary care physicians, therapists, hospitals, and the like.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling of the Affordable Care Act gives this annual meeting a special focus as it spotlights the current health status of the nation’s underserved and minority populations, and provides a space for dialogue around the policy changes needed to reduce health disparities and improve health equity.

Event highlights include keynote speakers, panel discussions, and working group sessions. This 19^th annual conference will stream live 9:15am EST to 3:30pm EST on October 5th and online viewers can participate at http://dialogueonhealth.nbcsl.org/.

The conference has been supported through a generous grant from Eli Lilly and Company for the past 19 years.

About the National Black Caucus of State Legislators

The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) is a membership association representing over 600 African American state legislators from 45 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NBCSL members represent more than 50 million Americans of all racial backgrounds. NBCSL tracks legislation at all levels of government and actively monitors state and federal policy initiatives to provide its members with important information. Each year, NBCSL members pass policy resolutions that directly impact federal and state policy. The organization focuses on U.S. domestic policy and is committed to policies that positively affect all Americans. Learn more at www.nbcsl.org.