WASHINGTON DC USA -- HEALTHCARE UPDATE NEWS SERVICE(TM) -- FEBRUARY 1, 2006: The National Consumer Driven Healthcare Summit, www.ConsumerDrivenSummit.com, September 13 - 15, 2006. at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC announced today it call for presentation proposals.

Last night in his State of the Union address, President Bush pledged to slow the rising cost of health care by making it easier for individuals and small businesses to buy insurance, mainly by encouraging the use of tax-free health savings accounts. The President articulated a strategy that could require individuals to pay a larger share of their medical expenses but would offset the cost with tax deductions. A White House outline said people who buy high-deductible insurance that can be linked with a health savings account should be able to deduct from their taxable income the cost of the policy. He also proposes to allow higher annual contributions to the accounts and to let employers offer "portable" health savings-linked insurance that workers could take with them if they changed jobs or retired. "We will strengthen health savings accounts by making sure individuals and small-business employees can buy insurance with the same advantages that people working for big businesses now get," said the President.

Individuals interested in making presentation proposals for the National Consumer Driven Healthcare Summit may submit a proposal by clicking here. To assure consideration, presentation proposals should be submitted by Friday, February 24, 2006.

The Consumer Driven Summit provides the leading forum on the impact and implication of Consumer Choice for providers, pharmaceutical companies, health plans, employers and other professionals involved with consumer driven care. The Summit provides nationally renowned keynote speakers, plus concurrent sessions organized into conference tracks including A) Strategies for Providers; B) Strategies for Pharmaceutical, Device and Biotechnology Enterprises; C) Strategies for Health Plans and Employers; D) The Role of Financial Institutions in HSAs, HRAs and FSAs; E) The Role of Health Information Technology; F) Legal issues; and G) Case Studies.

Presentations during the summit will provide the most current market information and solutions regarding: benchmarking data; decision support tools; price transparency; provider contracting issues; product offerings; legal, technical and operational issues and challenges; account integration and administration; communication strategies, marketplace trends; prescription benefit strategies and issues; consumer driven quality initiatives; open enrollment challenges; regulatory and public policy issues; marketplace trends, estimates and projections; and much more.

The Summit also provides the ideal networking opportunity for professionals throughout all industry sectors to interact, develop future relationships and meet key contacts.

Beth Bierbower Vice President Product Design and Development Humana Louisville, KY
John Iglehart Founding Editor, Health Affairs National Correspondent, New England Journal of Medicine Washington, DC
Greg Scandlen President and Founder Consumers for Health Care Choices Hagerstown, MD

Sponsored by

For sponsorship and exhibit information go to www.consumerdrivensummit.com/promotional/index.html or contact:

Joni Lipson
Exhibit Manager
Phone: 215-599-6626
Fax: 215-545-8107
joni.lipson@rmpinc.com

Register online at www.consumerdrivensummit.com/registration.html, call 800-684-4549, email registration@hcconferences.com or write:

Consumer Driven Healthcare Summit Office
7790 Barberry Ave.
Yucca Valley, CA USA 92284