July 2, 2008
A new series of health-related Webcasts for journalists debuts Wednesday, July 9 at noon with a spotlight on the growing problem of the underinsured – those who have insurance but are still at risk for substantial out-of-pocket expenses. "Talking Health" will be presented by the Association of Health Care Journalists, The Commonwealth Fund, and the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism.
A recent study by Commonwealth Fund researchers found that the number of underinsured adults rose by 60 percent between 2003 and 2007, from 16 million to more than 25 million, with the rate nearly tripling for those with moderate or higher incomes. About half of the underinsured went without needed health care because of cost.
The program will feature panelists Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health; Mila Kofman, Maine's superintendent of insurance; and Sara R. Collins, Ph.D., an assistant vice-president at The Commonwealth Fund. AHCJ Board President Trudy Lieberman, who heads the health and medicine reporting program at the CUNY J-school, will moderate the session.
A special feature of the Webcast: Julie Appleby of USA Today and Reed Abelson of The New York Times will offer suggestions and ideas for reporters based on the information discussed by the panelists.
"The three partners bring a unique blend of expertise on health care topics plus knowledge of what journalists need to tell their stories in today's multimedia environment," says moderator Lieberman. "This is an exciting program for all of us and one we hope will help reporters understand the issues, whether they cover health on a designated health beat or as part of another beat that touches on health."
The program can be viewed live July 9 at noon at www.healthjournalism.org/talkinghealth, which also features speaker bios and other info. Viewers can e-mail questions to Talkinghealth@healthjournalism.org in advance of the Webcast or during the session. Also during the event, viewers can call in questions in to 212-251-0801.
The Association of Health Care Journalists is an independent, nonprofit membership organization of more than 1,000 health reporters and editors across the U.S. and in 20 other nations. Along with its Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, it is dedicated to advancing public understanding of health care issues and improving the quality, accuracy and visibility of health reporting, writing and editing.
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that promotes a high-performing health care system with better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable, including low-income people, the uninsured, minority Americans, young children, and elderly adults.
The two-year-old CUNY Graduate School of Journalism located in midtown Manhattan offers a three-semester program that leads to a Master of Arts degree in journalism. Students study in a converged curriculum, learning the techniques of print, broadcast, and interactive journalism. They also gain in-depth instruction in one of five subject matter concentrations, including health and medical reporting.
