Congressional Breakfast Meetings

The Health, Medicine and Society Program (HMS) of the Aspen Institute proposes to partner with the Congressional Program to launch the Health Care Breakfast Conversation series, which will focus exclusively on health and health care. HMS, in consultation with the Fund, will lead the new series, guiding content and the selection of speakers. Dan Glickman and the Congressional Program’s staff will serve as collaborators, responsible for outreach to members, program logistics, and otherwise helping to ensure that the new health care series is structured in much the same way as their longstanding program. Two one-hour breakfast sessions are planned to explore important cost-related issues in health care. The first will examine trends in Medicare costs and discuss the levers Congress has at its disposal to address them. Melinda Buntin is slated to lead the discussion. The topic of the second breakfast is still to be determined and will be influenced by the perspectives that emerge during the first session and by what participants indicate are areas of interest.

This project specifically targets members of Congress and provides opportunities for them to hear from leading experts on topics in health policy. Interest in the health sessions will provide incentive for the Aspen Institute’s Congressional Program to continue and expand the health care conversation series.