The archive will consists of five, 90-minute modules.

Overview of Health Policy and Politics
David Helms, President and CEO, AcademyHealth (Welcome and Introduction)
Larry Lewin, Executive Consultant

This session focuses on today's major issues and key players in health and looks at how the roles of Congress, White House, and the public intersect. Noted health expert Larry Lewin uses examples such as the Administration's health reform efforts and the recently enacted Medicare legislation to illustrate the myriad factors influencing health policymaking.

Workings of Congress
Marion Lewin, Special Projects Consultant (Moderator)
Jon Lawniczak, Director, Coalition for Health Services Research
David Abernethy, Senior Vice President, HIP Health Plans
Chip Kahn, President, Federation of American Hospitals

This session covers congressional processes and timetables, and the congressional staff and congressional agencies (e.g., Congressional Budget Office, General Accounting Office). Panelists share past experiences as senior staff on key health committees tackling significant health legislation.

The Executive Branch
Marion Lewin, Special Projects Consultant (Moderator)
Chris Jennings, President, Jennings Policy Strategies, Inc.
David Sundwall, President, American Clinical Laboratory Association
Bruce Vladeck, Professor, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Director, Institute of Medicare Practice; Senior Vice President, Mount Sinai-NYU Health

This session discusses the role of the White House in health policymaking and how it relates to health-focused and non-health focused cabinet level agencies. The role and authorities of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, the Public Health Service agencies, as well as the role and composition of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are discussed.

Federal Budgeting
Marion Lewin, Special Projects Consultant (Moderator)
Jeanne Lambrew, Associate Professor, George Washington University
Joe Antos, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute

This session focuses on the federal budgeting process, its players, and the formal and informal budget processes; how budget drives policy; how tax cuts and budget deficits drive the policy agenda; and the roles of the Office of Management and Budget and the Congressional Budget Office.

The Public’s Role
Marion Lewin, Special Projects Consultant (Moderator)
Celinda Lake, President, Lake Snell Perry & Associates, Inc.
Peter Garrett, Garrett Health
Laurie Flynn, Director, Center for Families, Communities & Health Policy, Columbia University

This session looks at the public's perspective on health issues; how and what the public hears about health and health policy issues through the media; how federal agencies, organizations and associations manage public perception; and how advocates influence health policy.