Sacramento Healthcare Decisions

For the past several years, SHD has conducted leadership sessions with healthcare, business and community organizations seeking to engage their members in one of the toughest questions in health policy today: What should be the minimum healthcare coverage for the uninsured?

Using a computer-based tool called CHAT (see description below), SHD facilitates two-hour CHAT sessions in California and other states. To learn more about bringing CHAT to your organization or leadership group, contact SHD.

Below are examples of the types of groups that have held CHAT sessions.

"The session prompted many in our group to rethink assumptions about basic health care. CHAT raises important questions for anyone working in healthcare policy."
--Kate McGarvey, Health Consumer Alliance Director

In California:

Community Health Alliance of Humboldt-Del Norte
Fresno Healthy Communities Access Partners
San Mateo County's Health Care Model Workgroup
Leadership Sacramento (Chamber of Commerce)
Assembly, Senate and Executive Fellows programs
Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board staff
RWJ Foundation Policy Fellows
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, Board of Directors
CaliforniaKids (LA) Board of Directors
Sutter Health Sacramento regional Board of Directors
Woodland Healthcare Board of Directors
Department of Managed Health Care staff

In other states:

American Leadership Forum, Houston, Texas
Department of Insurance, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Department of Insurance, Helena, Montana
Department of Insurance, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

the CHAT� tool

CHAT (Choosing Healthplans All Together) is a computer simulation game developed by physician ethicists at the National Institutes of Health and the University of Michigan, whereby participants are faced with making decisions about health benefits packages when there are more choices than resources.

This stimulating and educational process takes place in a 2-hour discussion group where participants design a health coverage package, individually and as a group. The CHAT game is conducted using individual computers combined with group discussion that involves negotiation, compromise and consensus-building.