MEDIA ADVISORY 

WHO: The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Health Policy Institute, JohnsHopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Drexel University School of Public Health's Center for Health Equality, Health Management Associates, and African American Studies Department, University of Maryland, College Park.

WHAT: The Joint Center's Health Policy Institute will unveil a study that estimates the direct medical costs of racial inequalities in health status and access to quality care. Findings will include specific estimates on the combined costs of health inequities for minorities over a three-year period (2003-2006), as well as estimates of how much in direct and indirect costs could have been saved in our health care system during that same period if those disparities for minorities had been eliminated. The findings will be particularly relevant to the current debate in Congress over health care reform and will shed light on the issue of cost savings that could beachieved if the legislation addresses existing racial inequalities in health care and health outcomes. The event will also include the release of an assessment of major health reform legislation, with a particular focus on the implications of various provisions for racial and ethnic minorities. Authors of both reports will be on hand to present findings and answer questions.

WHERE: National Press Club, Holeman Lounge, 13th Floor, 529 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20045

WHEN: Thursday, September 17, 2009  8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. The briefing will be available online. To view the live Webcast (8:15 a.m), visit www.jointcenter.org/hpi

FEATURED SPEAKERS:

•  The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
•  The Honorable James E. Clyburn, (D-SC) Majority Whip, United States House of Representatives
•  The Honorable Donna M. Christensen, (D-VI), Chair, Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust
•  The Honorable Bobby L. Rush, (D-IL), Chairman, Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, United States House of Representatives
•  Ralph B. Everett, Esq., President and CEO, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
•  Brian D. Smedley, Ph.D., Vice President, Health Policy Institute, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
•  Dennis P. Andrulis, Ph.D., MPH, Director, Center for Health Equality and Associate Dean of Research,Drexel University
•  Darrell Gaskin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Health Economics, African American Studies Department,University of Maryland, College Park
•  Thomas A. LaVeist, Ph.D., Director of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Health Disparities Solutions

PLEASE NOTE: Due to limited space, members of the credentialed media should contact Betty Anne Williams toreserve seating - 202-789-3505 or bawilliams@jointcenter.org

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is one of the nation's leading research and public policy institutions and the onlyone whose work focuses primarily on issues of particular concern to African Americans and other people of color. For more informationabout the Joint Center, please visit our Web site at http://www.jointcenter.org

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