Event Title
Understanding Drug Pricing and the Drug Supply Chain
Panel
Panel 3: Drug Cost and Access I
Moderator
Paul Subar, Associate Professor and Chair of Department of Diagnostic Sciences, University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
Description
Americans are very concerned with the high prices of pharmaceutical drugs. In this session, Ms. Gassaway will outline health care costs, how drug prices are affecting health care premiums, and tools that health plans use to lower costs for patients and their customers. Additionally, she will review the importance of drug pricing transparency and how such efforts in states have helped address rising drug prices.
Location
Pacific McGeorge School of Law, Lecture Hall, 3200 Fifth Ave., Sacramento, CA
Understanding Drug Pricing and the Drug Supply Chain
Pacific McGeorge School of Law, Lecture Hall, 3200 Fifth Ave., Sacramento, CA
Americans are very concerned with the high prices of pharmaceutical drugs. In this session, Ms. Gassaway will outline health care costs, how drug prices are affecting health care premiums, and tools that health plans use to lower costs for patients and their customers. Additionally, she will review the importance of drug pricing transparency and how such efforts in states have helped address rising drug prices.
Speaker Bio
Ms. Gassaway is a passionate health care advocate and is the Senior Vice President for State Affairs for America’s Health Insurance Plans. AHIP is the national trade association representing the health insurance industry. AHIP’s members provide health and supplemental benefits through employersponsored coverage, the individual insurance market, and public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
Overseeing state affairs for AHIP, she is responsible for assisting in legislative, regulatory and policy advocacy efforts in the states. This includes activities at various political and regulatory organizations, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), National Governors Association (NGA) and the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). She also is focused on federal and state driven efforts regarding health care and insurance including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Prior to coming to AHIP, Ms. Gassaway had an active tenure working in government affairs and project management. She began her career in 1994 at PacifiCare Health Systems, now a UnitedHealth Care company. At PacifiCare, she was the Director of Regulatory Advocacy for all business lines. She also worked for CIGNA Corporation as the Western Region Government Affairs Director. In these positions, she was responsible for government relations activity affecting medical, dental, vision, pharmacy and behavioral health issues. She participated in education and policy collaborations with key health care stakeholders on a variety of matters.
She also served as Vice President of Legal and Regulatory Affairs for the California Association of Health Plans. In this capacity, she oversaw legal and regulatory issues for 40 full service health plans and Medi- Cal managed care plans in California. She was responsible for managing the relationships with the Department of Managed Health Care, Office of Patient Advocate, Department of Health Services, Major Risk Medical Insurance Board, Department of Insurance, and the Centers or Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Ms. Gassaway has a Masters Degree in Health Care Administration from California State University, Long Beach focusing on public policy and health care law. She received a Bachelors Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.