Speakers will include:

Jud Knox of York Hospital












James Gelfand, Senior Manager, Health Policy, US Chamber of Commerce

James P. Gelfand joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in August 2007. He co-manages the Chamber’s Employee Benefits Committee, the body responsible for formulating policy positions on health and retirement issues. Gelfand advocates on behalf of Chamber members on health policy issues pending before Congress and the federal agencies, including comprehensive health reform, ERISA preemption, mental health parity, small business health plans, health privacy and confidentiality, Medicare reform, consumerist health options, comparative effectiveness, mandates, and coverage for the uninsured.

Gelfand joined the Chamber from The ERISA Industry Committee, where he served as manager of health policy, focusing on research and advocacy for health issues of concern to Fortune 100 companies.

Gelfand is a contributor to the National Journal’s Health Care Expert Blog and to the U.S. Chamber’s ChamberPost blog, and writes for Health Care News. He is quoted regularly in publications including The New York Times, the National Journal, and Business Insurance and is interviewed by major news networks and talk radio.

Gelfand attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, graduating with distinction in political science and legal studies. Previously, he worked at the National Center for Public Policy Research, where he co-authored the 2007 edition of Shattered Dreams: One Hundred Stories of Government Abuse. He also worked in litigation support at the international law firm Sidley, Austin, Brown and Wood.

Gelfand has a background in investigative reporting and formerly served on the editorial board of the Northwestern Chronicle. He is a scholar of ancient Latin and Greek and a student at The George Washington University Law School. Gelfand lives in Washington, D.C.


Eric Altholz, Partner, Verrill Dana Law Firm

Eric Altholz is a Partner in the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group. Eric maintains a broad practice within his area of law, but specializes in executive and deferred compensation arrangements, incentive and equity-based compensation plans, fiduciary compliance, and the benefit and compensation programs of tax-exempt organizations. Eric has extensive experience working with hospitals and other employers in the health care industry, and he frequently works with compensation consultants and actuaries in providing legal advice to employers in this and other industries.  

Eric also serves as Chair of the firm's Health Care Group. In his health care practice, Eric counsels group medical practices in a wide range of corporate and transactional matters (including medical practice mergers), as well as professional service contracting. He has also advised hospital clients in medical practice acquisitions and other physician alignment transactions, as well as board governance matters. Eric is listed in The Best Lawers in America® for Employee Benefits Law and Health Care Law.

For Eric Altholz's PowerPoint presentation from this event please click here.
  

John Benoit, President of Employee Benefit Solutions

John Benoit is President of Employee Benefits Solutions, Inc. (EBS), a subsidiary of the Holden Agency. As president of EBS, John provides support and advice to large and small employers with health, dental, disability, and life insurance employee benefit plans. John has worked in the insurance industry since 1984, primarily in the field of employee benefits. In 1994, John founded the Maine Health Management Coalition, a mixed model (purchaser and provider) coalition that has been the model for similar groups in other states.  He also served as co-founder and past co-chair of the Maine Healthcare Purchasing Collaborative. He served as a member of the Governor’s Health Action Team, which worked on the development of Dirigo Health.  He currently is a member of the Health Action Roundtable and the Health Action Committee, two organizations attempting to reform the delivery and funding of health care in Maine. He serves on the Broker Advisory Council for all major health insurance carriers in Maine, and graduated from the inaugural class of the Hanley Health Leadership Development Program. John is involved in the community and is a board member or finance committee member to several non-profit organizations. He is a graduate of Bowdoin College, and resides in Scarborough, Maine.


Anne Wright of Employee Benefit Solutions

Anne Wright is Manager of Employee Benefits at the Holden Agency / Employee Benefits Solutions in Portland. In this capacity, Anne is responsible for managing employee benefits operations, communications, and compliance, as well as acting as a resource for the benefits staff. Her prior employment included nearly 12 years with a large, state-wide health insurance trust, as well as several stints with private employers. Anne received her B.A. from Wellesley College, and her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.



Sponsored by:

     

Seacoast Sleep Solutions / Atlantic Medical Supplies   &   Wilkinson Law Offices