This page was last updated on August 21, 2025

Monday, October 27, 2025
TIMEACTIVITY
8:00–8:30 a.m.Breakfast
8:30–9:00 a.m.

Welcome and Introductions

Speaker:
 

9:00–10:00 a.m.

Health Policy 2025-2026: What to Expect in Uncertain Times
This session will cover the 2025-206 health policy landscape and what we can expect in an increasingly unpredictable environment.
Moderator: 

Julie Rovner Headshot
Presenter

Julie Rovner

Chief Washington Correspondent - Kaiser Health News

Julie Rovner is Chief Washington Correspondent at KFF Health News Read Bio

Speakers: 

Joanne_Kenen_Headshot
Presenter

Joanne Kenen

Journalist-in-Residence - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Joanne Kenen is the Journalist-in-Residence at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Read Bio

Sandhya headshot
Presenter

Sandhya Raman

Health Policy Reporter - CQ Roll Call

Sandhya Raman is a health policy reporter for CQ Roll Call in Washington DC. Read Bio

10:00–10:30 a.m.Break
10:30–11:30 a.m.

How Congress Works 
This session reviews the congressional timetable and processes, as well as the role of congressional staff and committees with specific examples of legislation on health programs.

Speaker: 

Presenter

Rodney Whitlock, Ph.D.

Vice President - McDermott+Consulting

Rodney is an accomplished health care executive with more than two decades on the Hill. Read Bio

11:45 a.m.–1:45 p.m.Lunch
2:00–3:15 p.m.

The Executive Branch 
This session looks at the role of the White House in health policymaking and how it relates to health-focused and non-health focused cabinet-level agencies. Panelists also discuss the office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, and the Public Health Service agencies.

Moderator: 



Speakers: 

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Presenter

Christopher Jennings

President - Jennings Policy Strategies

Chris Jennings is an over three decades-long health policy veteran of the White House, the Congress and the pr... Read Bio

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Presenter

Jennifer Young

Co-founder - Tarplin, Downs & Young, LLC

Jennifer B. Young served as the Assistant Secretary for Legislation at the Department of Health and Human Serv... Read Bio

3:15–3:45 p.m.Break
3:45–4:45 p.m.Hot Topics

Speaker: TBD
5:00–6:00 p.m.Happy Hour (Optional)
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
TIMEACTIVITY
8:00–8:30 a.m.Breakfast
8:30–9:30 a.m. 

Public Opinion and Health Policy
This session looks at how the public perceives health issues and reviews recent polling data.

Speaker: 

Ashley Kirzinger
Presenter

Ashley Kirzinger, Ph.D.

Director - KFF

Ashley Kirzinger is director of survey methodology and associate director of the Public Opinion and Survey Res... Read Bio

9:30–9:45 a.m.Break
9:45–10:45 a.m.

The Role of the Courts
This session focuses on the role of courts in health care, discussing the use of the legal system to regulate health care and health care delivery. The session also looks at current health care cases that have been elevated to the Supreme Court.

Speaker: 

Sara Rosenbaum
Member, Presenter

Sara Rosenbaum, J.D.

Professor Emerita, Health Law and Policy - George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health

Sara Rosenbaum, J.D., is Professor Emerita, Health Law and Policy at the Milken Institute School of Public Hea... Read Bio

10:45–11:00 a.m.Break
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Federal Budgeting
This session presents the big picture of federal budgeting, its players, and the formal and informal budget processes, as well as how budgets influence policy and how tax cuts and budget deficits drive the policy agenda.

Speaker:

James Capretta headshot
Presenter

James Capretta, M.A.

Resident Fellow - American Enterprise Institute

James C. Capretta has more than three decades of experience in health care and fiscal policy. Read Bio

12:00–1:15 p.m.Lunch 
1:15–2:15 p.m.

Evidence and Influence: How Policymaking Really Works
This session will explore how evidence is used in the policymaking process, offering a realistic view of how policy decisions are shaped in both the legislative and executive branches. Attendees will gain insights into when and how evidence informs policy, along with real-world examples of success and failure. The session will also examine the critical role that outside organizations and experts play in engaging with federal policymakers, including what types of information are most valuable, how these interactions occur, and what strategies are most (and least) effective in influencing decisions.

Moderator:

Speakers:

Alison Hernandez
American Nurses Enterprise

Presenter

LaQuandra Nesbitt, M.D., M.P.H.

Senior Associate Dean for Population Health Sciences and Health Equity - George Washington University

Dr. LaQuandra S. Nesbitt is a board-certified family physician with over a decade of experience leading popula... Read Bio

2:15–2:30 p.m.Break
2:30–3:30 p.m.

Medicare, MA, and Health Insurance Marketplaces

This session will explore issues related to Medicare and its payment and delivery system reforms, health insurance coverage, and health insurance marketplaces.

Speaker: TBD

3:30–3:45 p.m.Break
3:45–4:45 p.m.The States' Health Policy Agenda
This session reviews the key health issues facing the states, including Medicaid/CHIP, insurance exchanges, and the implementation of health care reform.

Speaker: TBD
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
TIMEACTIVITY
8:00–8:30 a.m.Breakfast
8:30–10:30 a.m.

Information Sources for Policymaking
We will begin the first half of this session with a panel discussion. After, participants will meet in small groups with each expert to learn their agency’s role in providing information and resources for decision makers in the policymaking process.

Moderator:

Presenter

Emily Holubowich, M.P.P.

National Senior Vice President of Federal Advocacy - American Heart Association

Emily joined the American Heart Association in 2019 with more than twenty years of experience in health and fi... Read Bio

Experts:

Presenter

Kirstin Blom, MPIA

Policy Director - CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC)

Kirstin Blom is a policy director at the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Read Bio

Stephanie Cameron headshot

Stephanie Cameron, Sc.M.

Assistant Director - Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC)

Stephanie Cameron, Sc.M is the Assistant Director at the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), a nonp... Read Bio

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Presenter

Lara Robillard, M.P.Aff.

Principal Analyst - Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Lara Robillard has been a principal analyst at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in the Budget Analysis Di... Read Bio

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Marco A. Villagrana, M.S.W.

Analyst, Health Care Financing - Congressional Research Service

Marco Villagrana has conducted policy analysis in the public and private sector for over 20 years. Read Bio

10:30–11:00 a.m.Break
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

How to Communicate with Policy Leaders
This hands-on workshop provides pointers for communicating effectively with decision-makers. Panelists will review the various vehicles for communicating your message to key constituencies, tips on developing messages and outreach strategies, the use of media to bridge research and policy, and how to become more involved in health policy and politics.

Speaker:

Lauren Adams
Staff

Lauren Adams, M.A.

Senior Director of Communications and Marketing - AcademyHealth

Lauren Adams, M.A., is senior director of communications and marketing at AcademyHealth, where she oversees st... Read Bio

12:00–12:15 p.m.Closing Remarks