Medicaid Leadership Academy
September 20-22 | Hilton Alexandria Mark Center | Alexandria, VA
The CSG Medicaid Leadership Academy is tailored for members of the legislative and executive branches who are well versed in the intricacies of Medicaid policy and are interested in further discussion and examination of the issues. The 2023 Medicaid Leadership Academy includes a special Q&A with the Deputy Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dan Tsai, and a session on how Medicaid programs serve individuals with complex health needs. Attendees will also hear about the latest data on the process of redetermining the eligibility status of Medicaid beneficiaries following the end of the public health emergency, how 1115 waivers are allowing states to innovate in their Medicaid programs and about the workforce shortages impacting all sectors of the health care workforce.
Agenda
September 20-22, 2023
Alexandria, VA
Agenda
All events take place in the Walnut Room on the Lobby Level of the Main Tower, unless otherwise noted.
Wi-Fi: Log-In: Hilton_Meeting
Access Code: MEDICAID2023
To access this agenda, speaker bios, a list of sponsors, PowerPoint presentations and other resources:
https://www.csg.org/work/csg-policy-academy-series/medicaid-leadership-academy/
Wednesday, Sept. 20
1:30 – 2:00 p.m. Registration
Location: Walnut Room Pre-Function Area
2:00 – 2:30 p.m. Welcome and Introductions
- Sean Slone, senior policy analyst, The Council of State Governments
- David Adkins, CEO, The Council of State Governments
- Lisa Lee, commissioner, Department for Medicaid Services, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services; Medicaid 101 Policy Academy Co-Host
- Lynnette Rhodes, executive director, Medical Assistance Plans, Georgia Department of Community Health; Medicaid 101 Policy Academy Co-Host
Legislative Co-Hosts:
- Jillian Gilchrest, Connecticut
- David Wilson, Alaska
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Leader Roundtable
Interactive session with attendees on legislative plans for 2024 sessions that could impact Medicaid. Attendees will be invited to respond to three questions:
- What are my Medicaid-related legislative or policy priorities for 2024?
- What piece of Medicaid-related legislation or policy that I have championed should you ask me about?
- What am I hoping to learn at this academy?
3:30 – 4:00 p.m. The Fiscal State of State Medicaid Programs
The executive director of the National Association of State Budget Officers discusses Medicaid’s impacts on recent state spending and the factors that may drive future spending.
Panelists:
- Shelby Kerns, executive director, National Association of State Budget Officers
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Top Issues in Medicaid 2023
Medicaid experts will discuss the top issues facing the program in 2023, including the process of redetermining eligibility following the end of the public health emergency, recent proposed rules and guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and how states are innovating to address the needs of Medicaid populations.
Panelists:
- Lindsey Browning, director of Medicaid programming, National Association of Medicaid Directors
- Robin Rudowitz, vice president and director for the Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured, KFF
- Jennifer Moore, PhD, RN, FAAN, founding executive director, Institute for Medicaid Innovation
- Joseph Benitez, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Kentucky.
5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Opening Reception
Location: Finn & Porter Patio, Upper Level
Thursday, Sept. 21
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast Buffet
Location: Walnut Room Pre-Function Area
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. The Federal Government’s Approach to Medicaid
(Q&A with CMS)
A senior official from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will discuss the administration’s plans for the Medicaid program, the redetermination process following the end of the Public Health Emergency and how states can work with the agency to serve beneficiaries. A Q&A will follow his remarks.
Speaker:
- Daniel Tsai, deputy administrator and director, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
10 – 11 a.m. Future of Innovation in Medicaid
The Institute for Medicaid Innovation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and policy organization focused on providing innovative solutions that address important clinical, research, and policy issues in Medicaid through multi-stakeholder engagement, research, data analysis, education, quality improvement initiatives, and dissemination and implementation activities. The organization’s founding executive director will discuss which areas within Medicaid are ripe for innovation in the years ahead and what CMS and state Medicaid agencies may be signaling about their priorities moving forward.
Speaker:
- Jennifer Moore, founding executive director, Institute for Medicaid Innovation
11:00 – 12:00 p.m. Medicaid Waiver Innovations
Experts will discuss how states are using 1115 waivers to innovate in their Medicaid programs.
Speakers:
- Robin Rudowitz, vice president and director for the Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured, KFF
Topic: Overview of 1115 waivers.
- Randy Pate, founder, Randolph Pate Advisors; former deputy administrator and director, Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Topic: How CMS views the waiver process as a vehicle for innovation in areas like addressing obesity.
Noon – 1:00 p.m. Lunch Buffet
Location: Walnut Room Pre-Function Area
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Health Innovation Roundtables
In a series of short presentations, private sector health interests discuss innovations in medicine and health care delivery that
touch the Medicaid population and potential policy activities to support them.
Presentations:
- American Cancer Society
Discussion topic: Innovations in Cancer Care
This session will explore biomarker testing as an important step in accessing precision medicine that can lead to improved survivorship and better quality of life for cancer patients. Also, state policy actions to expand insurance coverage of comprehensive biomarker testing.
Presenter: Devon Adams, RN, MPH, senior policy analyst, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
- Novo Nordisk
Discussion Topic: Obesity Epidemic in States: How Legislators & Medicaid leaders are taking action.
This session will explore what states are doing to tackle obesity in their Medicaid population and what you should consider in your own population.
Presenters: Ann Vermilion and Dave Moody, Regional Leads for State Government Affairs, Novo Nordisk
- Philips:
Discussion topic: How states can leverage technology to improve maternal health care in underserved areas.
This discussion will focus on how technology has evolved to bring maternal care closer to mom. Providers are deploying remote ultrasound, remote fetal monitoring and remote patient monitoring to improve access to care. Attendees will hear about creative approaches from state Medicaid authorities to ensure access to these technologies.
Presenters: Jennifer Law, Partnerships Lead, Maternal Health and Evan Hoffman, Director of State and Local Government Relations, Philips
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Role for Medicaid in Addressing Social Determinants of Health
Select attendees will discuss how their states are using 1115 waivers to address social determinants of health (SDOH) and health-related social needs (HRSN).
Speakers:
- Maryland: Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk
Maryland’s HealthChoice 1115 Demonstration includes the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) model Pilot Program, which provides standardized social determinants of health screenings and care coordination.
- Illinois: Rep. Anna Moeller
Illinois’ Behavioral Health Transformation extension promises to enhance Illinois’ healthcare delivery system to address root causes of health disparities by focusing on social determinants of health to address structural inequities including housing insecurity, food insecurity, and violence to improve health outcomes.
- Kansas: Rep. Troy Waymaster
Kansas’ KanCare 1115 Demonstration Renewal highlights services related to social determinants of health, including addressing safe housing; food sources; educational, economic, and job opportunities; access to health care services; transportation options; and community-based resources in support of community living.
- North Carolina: Rep. Tim Reeder
North Carolina’s Medicaid Reform Demonstration includes health opportunities pilots to address housing instability, transportation insecurity, food insecurity, intimate partner violence, and toxic stress for a limited number of high-need enrollees.
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Medicaid & Individuals with Complex Health Needs
States have used the Medicaid waiver process and other avenues to ensure that individuals with complex needs have access to integrated and person-centered care delivery that addresses physical health, behavioral health and social services. Experts in this session will discuss the challenges that remain, including avoiding the high cost of preventable service utilization.
Speakers
- Alice Burns, associate director, Program on Medicaid & the Uninsured, Kaiser Family Foundation
Focus: Medicaid and LTSS, HCBS and people with disabilities
- Christopher Menschner, director, complex care programs, Center for Health Care Strategies
- Mary P. Sowers, executive director, National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services
- Kristin Ahrens, deputy secretary, Office of Developmental Programs, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
4:00 – 4:30 p.m. Participant Discussion
5:00 – 6:00 Reception
Location: Finn & Porter Patio, Upper Level
Friday, Sept. 22
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast Buffet
Location: Walnut Room Pre-Function Area
9:00 – 10:45 a.m. Medicaid & the Future of the Health Care Workforce
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated workforce shortages across the health care spectrum, leaving employers, state policymakers and their partners scrambling for solutions. This session will examine the challenges faced by the primary care, behavioral health, long-term care and telehealth workforces, the Medicaid populations impacted, the initiatives aimed at addressing those challenges, and the projects designed to highlight new solutions as they materialize.
Speakers:
- Sean Slone, senior policy analyst, The Council of State Governments.
Topic: Mental Health Policy Framework and Long-Term Care Workforce Project.
- Clese Erikson, deputy director, Health Workforce Research Center, Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity, George Washington University.
Topic: Behavioral Health Workforce Shortages.
- Hemi Tewarson, executive director, National Academy for State Health Policy.
Topic: “State Strategies to Support the Future of the Primary Care Physician and Nursing Workforce.”
- April Young, senior director of strategic initiatives, ADvancing States.
Topic: State initiatives to support direct care workers.
- Quinn Shean, state policy advisor, American Telemedicine Association
Topic: Telehealth workforce
10:45 – 11:00 a.m. Concluding Remarks, Online Survey and Adjournment
Speakers
Kristin Ahrens
Deputy Secretary, Office of Developmental Programs
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
Kristin Ahrens currently serves as the Deputy Secretary for Pennsylvania’s Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) within the Department of Human Services. Prior to her appointment as Deputy Secretary in 2018, Ms.Ahrens served as the Director of the Bureau of Policy and Quality Management at ODP. Before joining ODP in 2016, Kristin was the Policy Director for the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, Pennsylvania’s federally funded University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Ms. Ahrens’ 30 years of experience working with people with developmental disabilities, spans from advocacy and community education to providing supported living, family support and self-directed services and includes development and management of several self-directed models. Prior to moving to Pennsylvania, Ms. Ahrens was in leadership positions in Oregon’s groundbreaking Self-Determination Resources, Inc. (SDRI), a regional brokerage serving adults with I/DD, that began as a Robert Wood Johnson funded demonstration and was ultimately replicated statewide. Ms. Ahrens has a Masters in Education and Disability Studies Certificate from Temple University.
Joseph Benitez, PhD
Assistant professor, Department of Health Management and Policy
University of Kentucky
Dr. Joseph Benitez is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy. Before arriving at the University of Kentucky, he was on the University of Louisville faculty. His research focuses primarily on the impact of public policy changes on access to care, medically underserved populations and the role of the health care safety net, and the Medicaid program. He has been published in Health Affairs, Health Services Research, and Medical Care, and featured on NPR and U.S. News & World Report. In 2016, he was funded by Academy Health’s New Investigator Small Grant Program to study the implications of Medicaid expansion for safety net hospital financing. More recently, Dr. Benitez received funding from the UK Schnatter Institute to study hospital utilization patterns among Kentucky’s Medicaid expansion population.
Lindsey Browning
Director of Medicaid Programming
National Association of Medicaid Directors
Lindsey Browning joined the National Association of Medicaid Directors in May 2014. In her role as program director, she leads various grant-funded projects to support Medicaid Directors and their senior staff in navigating the Medicaid program’s most pressing policy issues. These projects focus on issues ranging from delivery system and payment reform to behavioral health integration and Medicaid managed care. Before coming to NAMD, Lindsey worked at the Children’s Hospital Association where she conducted research and analysis on state policy trends in Medicaid and CHIP. She also supported the association’s work to analyze and respond to regulations implementing the Affordable Care Act.
Alice Burns
Associate Director, Program on Medicaid & Uninsured
KFF
Alice Burns is an associate director of KFF’s Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured, where she focuses on overseeing the team’s quantitative research. Prior to joining KFF in 2022, Dr. Burns served as a principal analyst at the Congressional Budget Office. She led the agency’s research using Medicaid claims data and worked on issues related to long-term services and supports, private health insurance, surprise medical bills, and single-payer health care. Before her time at the CBO, she was a consultant with the Lewin Group and a research scientist at the George Washington University Center for Health Policy Research.
Shelby Kerns
Executive Director
National Association of State Budget Officers
Shelby Kerns is the Executive Director of the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) in Washington, D.C. She joined NASBO in March 2020. Prior to coming to NASBO, Kerns served as Deputy Director at the Idaho Department of Labor, having previously worked in the Idaho Division of Financial Management from 2009-2019 (the state’s budget office). In her prior position as Budget Bureau Chief, she led staff in developing, presenting, and advocating for the Governor’s Executive Budget.
Christopher Menschner, MSW, MA
Director, Complex Care Programs
Center for Health Care Strategies
Chris Menschner, MSW, MA, is the director of complex care programs at the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS). In this role he oversees CHCS projects focused on the design and implementation of integrated, person-centered, and equitable care and services for adults with a mix of significant physical, behavioral health, and social challenges. His work also focuses on promoting the adoption of trauma-informed care. Most recently, Chris served as the assistant commissioner for the Division of HIV, STD, and TB Services at the New Jersey Department of Health from 2018-2022. Prior to joining NJDOH, Chris was a senior program officer at CHCS, where he led a national initiative focused on identifying best practices for implementing trauma-informed approaches in the health care sector from 2015-2018. He also served previously as a senior policy analyst at the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development, where he focused on New Jersey’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Chris began his career as a counselor and case manager, working with adults with mental health and substance use issues at community mental health centers in the greater Trenton, NJ region.
Jennifer E. Moore, PhD, RN, FAAN
Founding Executive Director
Institute for Medicaid Innovation
As the founding executive director of the Institute for Medicaid Innovation (IMI) and assistant research professor at the University of Michigan medical school’s department of obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Moore focuses her efforts on strategically bringing together payers, clinicians, researchers, and government to design and evaluate innovative approaches to address maternal health issues such as alternative payment models, inequities and disparities, social determinants of health, community voice and partnership, and a full range of perinatal specific topics. Dr. Moore’s current grant-funded research projects include work with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to assess Medicaid access and coverage through the first national longitudinal survey of Medicaid managed care organizations. She is also leading a W.K. Kellogg Foundation funded national midwifery and Medicaid learning collaborative to increase access and coverage to high-value, evidence-based maternal models of care that are underutilized in the Medicaid program. She is also involved in the Advancing Health Equity learning collaborative focused on reducing disparities through payment and delivery system reform. Prior to forming IMI, Dr. Moore spent three years at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), ultimately serving as the senior advisor and senior health scientist in the agency’s Office of Women’s Health & Gender Research. She gained public policy experience as Director of Government Affairs for the Michigan Nurses Association and as Director of Government Relations for the American College of Nurse-Midwives before joining the National Association of Chain Drug Stores as Director of Policy and Programs.
Robin Rudowitz
Vice President, Director for Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured
KFF
Robin Rudowitz is vice president at KFF and director of the Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured, where she oversees all work on Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and low-income populations including coverage, eligibility, financing, delivery systems, access and long-term services and supports. Prior to joining KFF in 2004, Rudowitz was a senior manager at the Lewin Group, a health policy and management consulting firm. Rudowitz has worked on budget and health policy issues in various government agencies, including the Office of Legislation at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer for the District of Columbia, the Congressional Budget Office and the Ways and Means Committee for the New York State Assembly. Rudowitz holds a bachelor’s degree in policy analysis and a master’s degree in public administration from Cornell University.
Mary P. Sowers
Executive Director
National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services
Mary joined NASDDDS in 2014 and became the NASDDDS Executive Director on July 1, 2019. Before joining NASDDDS, Mary was with Mercer Government Human Services Consulting where she provided consultation and technical assistance to state governments on a wide array of Medicaid-related issues, with a focus on integrated care, home and community-based services, and managed long-term services and supports. Prior to joining Mercer in 2011, Mary held senior positions with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Disabled and Elderly Health Programs Group, Mary specialized in Medicaid home and community-based services, managed long-term services and supports (including strategies for reducing institutional reliance), self-direction, and strategies to design person-centered systems of care. Mary also has extensive experience within state government, at non-profit organizations serving individuals with I/DD, and as a direct support professional.
Daniel Tsai
Deputy Administrator and Director of Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Daniel Tsai is the Deputy Administrator and Director of Center for Medicaid and CHIP services at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) where he leads the Center in addressing disparities in health equity and serving the needs of individuals and families who rely on these essential programs. Before joining CMS, Tsai was the Assistant Secretary for MassHealth and Medicaid Director for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, serving for six years—the state’s longest-serving Medicaid director in nearly two decades. His tenure focused on building a robust and sustainable Medicaid program to ensure equitable coverage and improve how health care is delivered for two million individuals and families in the state. Tsai helped lead Massachusetts Medicaid through its most significant restructuring since the 1990s through its landmark 2016 Medicaid 1115 waiver. Through the waiver, MassHealth also launched a program committing significant investments for nutritional and housing supports to address the social determinants of health for high cost, at-risk individuals. In addition, during his tenure, the agency has made critical investments in strengthening community health centers, behavioral health, and home and community-based services.
April Young
Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives
ADvancing States
April Young is the Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at ADvancing States. In this role, she manages a variety of projects related to business acumen, the direct service workforce, and social isolation. She also serves on several state technical assistance teams. Previously, Ms. Young served as the Senior Director of National Core Indicators – Aging and Disabilities (NCI-AD) a survey tool project that is utilized by states to track quality of life and outcomes data for aging and disability populations. Before joining ADvancing States, Ms. Young worked as a policy advisor specializing in long-term services and supports for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin with a concentration in Community and Administrative Leadership.
Clese Erikson
MPAff, Deputy Director, Health Workforce Research Center, Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity; Lead Research Scientist, Department of Health Policy and Management, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University
Ms. Erikson is the Deputy Director of the Health Workforce Research Center on Emerging Health Workforce Issues at The George Washington University and a member of the senior leadership team of the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity. She is currently the Principle Investigator on a three-year behavioral health workforce study funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Before joining GW, Ms. Erikson was senior director of the Center for Workforce Studies at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), where she was responsible for overseeing the Center’s research strategy, directing efforts on how workforce needs are evolving under new payment and delivery models and regularly convened workforce researchers to enhance methods and dissemination of findings.
Randy Pate
Founder, Randolph Pate Advisors; former deputy administrator and director, Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Randolph (Randy) Pate is the founder of Randolph Pate Advisors LLC, located in the Washington DC area. His management and strategic consulting firm provides leadership to health insurers, healthcare providers, technology companies, and state governments. Randy brings over two decades of public and private sector health care policy and regulatory experience to his consulting practice. In his most recent government role, Randy served as Deputy Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO).
Quinn Shean
State Policy Advisor
American Telemedicine Association (ATA) & ATA Actionq
Quinn Shean is a strategist and regulatory advisor who works with clients at the intersection of law, policy, and politics to develop and implement creative solutions. She is a healthcare policy expert and has led multiple efforts to promote adoption of virtual care and to remove outdated regulatory barriers that restrict consumer choice and stall development of innovative healthcare solutions. Her varied background in healthcare has shaped a unique perspective on both the opportunities and challenges of emerging technologies that enable better delivery of care. Quinn regularly speaks on telehealth policy, including testimony before legislative and regulatory bodies. Quinn was also previously a litigation associate at two major international law firms.
Hemi Tewarson
Executive Director
National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)
Hemi Tewarson, JD, MPH is the executive director of the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization committed to improving the health and well-being of all people across every state. At NASHP, Hemi leads an organization that is at the forefront of engaging state leaders and bringing together partners to develop and advance state health policy innovations. Under her direction, NASHP is leading efforts with states in areas including state COVID-19 recovery, health care costs and value, coverage, child and family health, aging, family caregiving, health care workforce, behavioral health, social drivers of health and equity, and public health modernization. Previously, Hemi worked at the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy as a senior fellow and served as the director of the Health Division at the National Governors Association’s Center for Best Practices. She also served as senior attorney for the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, addressing Medicaid and related health care topics for members of Congress.
Evan Hoffman
Director of State and Local Government Relations
Phillips
Evan Hoffman serves as Philips’ Director of State and Local Government Relations. In this role, he leads Philips’ state and local government affairs efforts across the United States, working closely with mayors, city councilors, state legislators and governors. Evan works with state policymakers on advancing policies that achieve the quadruple aim of improving the patient and staff experience, improving patient outcomes, while lowering the cost of care. Evan frequently works with state Medicaid agencies, state departments of health and other health-focused policymakers. He frequently speaks on issues surrounding telehealth, maternal health and increasing access to care.
Jennifer Law
Partnerships Lead, Maternal Health
Phillips
Jennifer Law leads partnerships and innovation for Philips’ global patient monitoring business, focusing on pregnant and laboring women. She scouts for innovative solutions to help close the care gap for millions of pregnant women who lack access to quality prenatal care.
Dave Moody
Regional Lead, State Government Affairs
Novo Nordisk, Inc.
Dave covers state policy and government affairs for WA, IL, WI, UT, IA, NE, MI, MN. Prior to joining Novo Nordisk, David directed state government affairs activities at Pfizer, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Endo Health Solutions, and Quest Diagnostics, where he led the development and implementation of strategies for a vast array of healthcare policy issues.
Ann Vermilion
Regional Lead, State Government Affairs
Novo Nordisk, Inc.
Ann covers state policy and government affairs for KY, TN, IN, MO, SD, ND & MT. Prior to joining the Novo Nordisk team, Ann served as a State Representative for the Indiana General Assembly, authoring nearly $1.2B in commitments to public health and health disparities for Hoosiers during her time as a legislator. Ann also brings knowledge from her over 20 years in healthcare and hospital administration.
Devon Adams
RN, MPH, Senior Policy Analyst
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Devon Adams, RN, MPH is a senior policy analyst at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate. At ACS CAN he works on policy related to cancer research, device and drug development, and clinical trials. Devon leads ACS CAN’s work to improve access to cancer biomarker testing and expanding access to telehealth for people living with cancer. In addition to his ACS CAN experience, Devon is a registered nurse with experience in critical, emergency, and public health settings. He has a BSN from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette and an MPH in Health Policy and Management from the George Washington University.
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