Policy Makers Discuss Health Care Reform at URAC Quality Summit

Politics and Possibilities of Health Care Reform To Be Addressed

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- URAC, the nation's leading
health care accreditation and education organization, today announced that
several key policy makers and insurance leaders will lead a discussion, titled
"Federal and State Health Policy Initiatives: Impact on the Nation's Health
Care Landscape," at URAC's 10th Annual Quality Summit and Exhibit. This
session is among the many high-level topics which will be addressed by CEOs
and other executives from across the health care industry.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030501/URACLOGO)

"The U.S. Congress is engaged in a great debate about the future of health
care in America. If we continue on our current path, health care costs will
consume 34 percent of our GDP by 2040, and the number of uninsured Americans
will rise to 72 million," said Alan P. Spielman, President and CEO of URAC.
"URAC has brought this panel together to encourage dialogue within the
industry and help advance the conversation surrounding health care. With
discussion comes resolution and the hope of more consumer empowerment in
health care."

The panel, consisting of Morris Chavez, Superintendent of Insurance for the
New Mexico Public Regulation Commission; Joy Johnson Wilson, Federal Affairs
Counsel and Director of Health Policy for the National Conference of State
Legislatures; and Scott Kipper, Commissioner of Insurance for the Nevada
Department of Business and Industry will offer perspectives on the challenges
and opportunities facing Americans, discuss the politics that encompass the
current health care debate, and address the likelihood of national health care
legislation passing by the end of 2009. John DuMoulin, Vice President of
Government Relations, Product Development and Education for URAC, will serve
as moderator and lead the panel in discussion.

"I salute URAC on taking a leadership role with its Quality Summit and the
session addressing the debate on national health care reform," said
Commissioner Chavez. "I am excited to share my views with such a diverse group
of health care professionals."

This panel discussion, which will take place on Wednesday, October 7, supports
the theme of the 2009 Summit, "Enhancing Health Value for Consumers." This
year's event is designed to nurture innovation within health care
organizations and inspire participants to pursue higher quality health care
for consumers. More details and the full list of sessions and events that will
take place at the Summit can be found at
http://www.urac.org/accreditationEducation/10thAnnualSummitagenda.asp.

The 10th Annual Quality Summit will be held October 6-8, 2009 at the Hilton El
Conquistador Resort in Tucson, AZ. For more information or to register, please
visit http://www.urac.org/accreditationEducation/10thAnnualSummit.asp. Group
discounts are available for multiple registrants from the same organization.
For more information on group discounts and inquiries or for special needs
requests, please contact education@urac.org, or call (202) 216-9010.

About URAC
URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in
promoting health care quality through its accreditation, education and
measurement programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking
programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care
system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their
commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance
structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that
all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures
for the entire health care industry. For more information, visit
www.urac.org.

SOURCE URAC

Amy Cantu, Levick Strategic Communications, +1-202-973-1325,
acantu@levick.com, for URAC