ACA Exchanges Launch Tomorrow - Dig in at USTbusiness Events

If you hadn't heard, the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) in beginning to be implemented and tomorrow marks one major step in that direction. Health insurance exchanges open around the country allowing people to enroll for coverage of one kind or another that takes effect January 1.

Here in Minnesota, our exchange, MNsure explains itself as "a new marketplace where Minnesotans can fins, compare, choose and get quality health care coverage that best fits their needs and budget. MNsure is for you, whether you currently by health insurance on your own or you are uninsured."

Many people will be observing this launch—from ordinary citizens, to the media and politicians on both sides of the health care debate. Look for Opus College of Business faculty in the media this week and beyond explaining the issues. And on campus, we're planning several events that are in one way or another related to the Affordable Care Act and health in business. Here's details on a few:

The Physician Leadership Symposium at 5 p.m.,  Tuesday, October 8 will feature Don Berwick, former administrator of the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and former president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Berwick will discuss "The Future of Health Care" in his presentation.

The next morning, Wednesday, October 9, we'll hold a Master's Connection event featuring new age acoustic guitarist, composer and producer Billy McLaughlin. He is a five-time Minnesota Music Award winner with 11 CD releases and Billboard Top-Ten Chart history. In 2005 Billy announced via his website that he is suffering from focal dystonia, which severely limits his ability to play. Billy’s presentation at the Master’s Connection will focus on how he dealt with this issue and relearned his musical art to again be a masterful musician in his field.  His message will energize business professionals siting the analogy of needing to focus on keeping current with their professional skills and adapt to the changes that continually pop up in technology and business.

On Tuesday, October 22, the Health Care UST MBA program is proud to host  the MN Chapter of the American Marketing Association's Health Care Special Interest Group event on Promoting MNsure. Mary Sienko, marketing & communications director of MNsure, will be joined by her agency partner in the MNsure campaign, Leslie Sipprell at BBDO Proximity, to answer the question, "Can Paul Bunyan and Babe Convince the "Young Invincibles" to Buy Health Insurance?".

Finally, on Friday, November 8 the Health Care UST MBA is hosting the 6th Annual UST Executive Conference on the Future of Health Care in partnership with CliftonLarsonAllen LLP and Fredrikson & Byron, PA. Health care executives from across the five-state region gather to benefit from expertise of the panelists, presenters and participants and become more empowered to guide their organizations successfully through the challenges that lie ahead. Visit USTFutureofHealthCare.com to register and to view full conference details.

As the Affordable Care Act takes effect, students and faculty in the Opus College of Business will be observing and studying its effects on business and the economy. We'll keep sharing the findings and other events here on Opus Magnum and in our other publications, like B. Magazine.