In an effort to address high prescription drug costs, states across the country have established or are considering prescription drug affordability boards (PDABs) to review drug prices and propose setting upper payment limits (UPLs) for certain drugs that are deemed too expensive. PDABs and the price setting policies that accompany them jeopardize patient access to medicines for vulnerable and traditionally underserved populations.

Tune in to the NMQF webinar to learn more about how PDABs impact patient access, care delivery, research, and health equity – and how you can get engaged in discussions about these policies.

Moderator

Gretchen C. Wartman
Vice President for Policy and Program
Director, Institute for Equity in Health Policy and Practice
National Minority Quality Forum

Gretchen Clark Wartman is Vice President for Policy and Program of the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), and Director of the NMQF Institute for Equity in Health Policy and Practice. Ms. Wartman also directs the NMQF National Alliance for Brain Health and Awareness.

Prior to her tenure with NMQF, Ms. Wartman held positions with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, including serving as the Title V/Maternal and Child Health Director, and Director of the Division of Nutritional Health and Services. Ms. Wartman is a Peer Reviewer for the Journal of Healthcare, Science and The Humanities.

Panelists

Jen Laws
President and CEO
Community Access National Network (CANN)

Jen Laws (Pronouns: He/Him/His) is the President & Founder of Policy Candy, LLC, which is a non-partisan health policy analysis firm specializing in various aspects of health care and public health policy, focusing on the needs of the HIV-affected and Transgender communities.
In that capacity, Jen has served as the President & CEO of the Community Access National Network (CANN), beginning in January 2022. He previously served as the Project Director of CANN's HIV/HCV Co-Infection Watch, as well as 340B Policy Consultant.

Melissa Mitchell
Executive Director
Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA)

Melissa Gong Mitchell is Executive Director of the Global Coalition on Aging, the leading business voice on aging policy and strategy, aimed at reshaping how global leaders approach and prepare for the 21st century’s profound shift in population aging.
Melissa is responsible for the operations and management of the Coalition, internal and external communication strategies, and member and stakeholder outreach and development, including fostering relationships and aligning partners across various sectors.

Desmond Banks, PhD, MPH
Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) fellow
National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL)

Desmond Banks, PhD, MPH is the inaugural Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) fellow at NBCSL. Dr. Banks has worked as a social epidemiologist within CDC’s Office of Health Equity, where he examined how social determinants of health and structural racism contribute to health disparities.

Dr. Banks served on CDC’s Chief Health Equity Officer (CHEO) COVID-19 response team, where he informed practices designed to promote equitable access to COVID-19 vaccinations and therapeutics for racial and ethnic minorities. Dr. Banks also informed evaluation efforts to assess the impact that CDC funding had on promoting equitable access nationwide, particularly among lower-income persons, Medicaid participants and rural residents.

Dr. Banks holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University in psychology, a Master of Public Health from the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in health policy and management from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.