GW Law welcomed Senator Bill Cassidy, MD, of Louisiana, for a fireside chat with GW Law Professor Barak Richman on Wednesday, September 30.
The event, which took place in the Tasher Great Room at the law school, was part of the GW Health Law and Policy Program’s Lawmakers in Health series. Senator Cassidy shared insights on opportunities to improve healthcare affordability and control costs through greater price transparency and greater use of consumer tools that give patients more autonomy, like health savings accounts. According to Senator Cassidy, these additional tools could empower patients to shop for and purchase health care services the way they do shoes—comparing prices across institutions to maximize their health care dollars.
The Senator also noted the potential of using artificial intelligence as another strategy for lowering health care costs, particularly in rural communities. He celebrated the importance of vaccines and their transformative impact on public health, and talked about the importance of formal oversight over the health agenda of presidential administrations. During the event, Senator Cassidy responded to questions from students, alumni, and faculty in the audience and the moderator about his policy ideas and any potential barriers.
“It was an honor to host Senator Cassidy,” Professor Richman said. “He has been among the leading healthcare policymakers for the past decade and has done his best to sustain the Senate’s tradition of bipartisanship and consensus. As we expected, he delivered an extremely engaging and thoughtful talk.”
Senator Cassidy is one of many leaders in law who have visited the law school in recent weeks to share their advice, insights, and expertise with students. Earlier in September, the Public Interest and Public Service Law Center and Criminal Law Brief hosted Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, and the Career Development Office hosted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Also in September, the GW Law Sports Transactions class welcomed David Falk, JD ‘75, the legendary sports agent who represented Michael Jordan, to talk about his career.
The Health Law and Policy Program hosts many events about issues in health law and health policy. Over the summer, the program hosted a roundtable on private equity investment in physician practices and another on Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Accounts (ICHRAs).
