Universal health insurance is topic at Rice’s Baker Institute Oct. 16

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

Universal health insurance is topic at Rice’s Baker Institute Oct. 16

HOUSTON – (Oct. 10, 2018) – Experts on health care in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Taiwan will gather at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy Oct. 16 to discuss the strengths and challenges of their systems and explore which models might be appropriate for universal health insurance in the United States.

The event, hosted by the Baker Institute’s Center for Health and Biosciences, is free and open to the public, but registration is required. This event is part of the Baker Institute’s 25th anniversary commemorative programs featuring its centers and research.

Who: Anita Charlesworth, director of research and economics, The Health Foundation, London; Mark Stabile, the Stone Chaired Professor in Wealth Inequality, professor of economics and academic director of the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Centre for the Study of Wealth Inequality, INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France; Stephanie Stock, professor and acting director, Institute of Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology, University Clinic, University of Cologne, Germany; and Chi-Man “Winnie” Yip, professor of the practice of international health policy and economics, Department of Global Health and Population, and director of the China Health Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University.

Farhan Majid, the L.E. and Virginia Simmons Fellow in Health and Technology Policy at the Baker Institute, will give opening and closing remarks.

What: A conference titled “Prospects for Universal Health Coverage in the U.S.”

When: Tuesday, Oct. 16, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Breakfast and registration begins at 8. Lunch will be served at noon.

Where: Rice University, Baker Hall, Doré Commons, 6100 Main St.

U.S. health care costs have been rising faster than the country’s gross domestic product for decades, according to event organizers. The Affordable Care Act provided insurance coverage to millions of Americans but at a steep cost to taxpayers. Furthermore, insurance premiums for employer-provided health insurance and the middle class continue to skyrocket. This untenable situation has generated a groundswell of support for universal insurance coverage, organizers said. However, advocates for public coverage may not realize that it takes many forms around the world, with each country experiencing different benefits and weaknesses.

The public must RSVP for the event at www.bakerinstitute.org/events/1961. A live webcast will be available at the event webpage.

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

For a map of Rice University’s campus with parking information, go to www.rice.edu/maps. Media are advised to park in the Central Campus Garage.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top three university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.