Medicaid Value and Innovation Spotlighted at Future of Medicaid Event
Press Release
Published: February 28 • 2018
Modern Medicaid Alliance, Hoover Institution, and other experts shared their perspectives on how to improve Medicaid for enrollees and states
WASHINGTON – February 28, 2018 – Where does Medicaid go from here? That’s the question experts who participated in a Modern Medicaid Alliance-Hoover Institution event worked to answer today. Participants agreed that innovative approaches across Medicaid are making a tremendous difference in health, access to care, and financial stability for millions of people served by the program.
Today’s event focused on the current state and future of Medicaid by featuring open and honest panel discussions with many of the nation’s leading Medicaid experts. Participants discussed how Medicaid delivers for states and beneficiaries alike, and how leaders at the federal and state level can work together to improve outcomes and lower program costs.
Insights and ideas raised during the event included:
“We have found that actually investing more administratively – giving access to more doctors and nurses, on-site pharmacists, one-on-one and group education – can change health care behaviors and help us learn more about our members,” Tommy Duncan, CEO of Trusted Health Plan. “The results have been astounding – primary care visit rates went up 21%, emergency room visit rates came down 14% and in-patients visits down 5%.” Trusted Health Plan offers managed healthcare services for 50,000 people enrolled in Medicaid in the District of Columbia and Michigan. Mr. Duncan provided keynote remarks at the event.
“Matt Salo, National Association of Medicaid Directors Executive Director. “The real excitement for me will be, how well can we work to unleash the power of states to carry out delivery system and payment reforms; this is what it’s going to take to fix the healthcare system – it’s about providing holistic systems of care, breaking down silos between preventive care, mental health care, long-term health, pharmaceutical care.”
“At the end of the day, Medicaid is a program that covers people – states with waivers have to take that into consideration; access to services is really the long game,” said Rhys Jones, Vice President of Medicaid Advocacy for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).
The Modern Medicaid Alliance, a partnership organization between real Americans who value Medicaid and more than 100 leading advocacy groups, convened today’s event with the Hoover Institution. Modern Medicaid’s mission is to educate policymakers and the public about the positive benefits and results of Medicaid.
Other participating industry experts included: Sara Rosenbaum, Professor of Health Law and Policy at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University; Dennis Smith, Arkansas Medicaid Senior Advisor and former CMS director of Medicaid and State Operations; Hemi Tewarson, Director of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices’ Health Division; National Rural Health Association Government Affairs and Policy Manager Diane Calmus, and Charles Tyler, Jr., Baltimore County Public Schools Supervisor; Board member, National Alliance for Medicaid in Education. Lanhee Chen with the Hoover Institution and Politico Health Care Reporter Rachana Pradhan moderated the event.
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About the Modern Medicaid Alliance: The Modern Medicaid Alliance is a group of organizations, grassroots advocates, and Medicaid beneficiaries that educate policymakers and the public about the benefits of Medicaid to the American people. The Modern Medicaid Alliance highlights how Medicaid’s innovative solutions are improving health and saving resources with the goal of ensuring the benefits and best practices of today’s Medicaid program help as many of the program’s 70 million beneficiaries as possible.
About the Hoover Institution: With its eminent scholars and world-renowned Library and Archives, the Hoover Institution seeks to improve the human condition by advancing ideas that promote economic opportunity and prosperity, while securing and safeguarding peace for America and all mankind.
