Attendees explored national and state-specific trends in the Medicaid program and the implications for essential hospitals.

Speakers:
Barbara Eyman, JD
Washington Counsel, America’s Essential Hospitals
Principal, Eyman Associates

Sarah Mutinsky, JD
Washington Counsel, America’s Essential Hospitals
Founding Senior Advisor, Eyman Associates

This session explored ways to leverage Medicaid’s unique flexibility to support hospitals in meeting immediate and future capacity needs—from expanding coverage of new providers and settings to investing in innovative workforce solutions with new community partners. Highlighting a recent successful innovation, attendees heard how an essential hospital implemented a Hospital at Home program to benefit Medicaid patients.

Speakers:
Constantinos (Taki) Michaelidis, MD, MBA, MS
Medical Director, Hospital at Home
UMass Memorial Health

Sarah Mutinsky, JD
Washington Counsel, America’s Essential Hospitals
Founding Senior Advisor, Eyman Associates

Candra Szymanski, MS, RN
Interim Associate Vice President, Hospital at Home
UMass Memorial Health

Attendees joined Sellers Dorsey in a discussion with an essential hospital leader on the use of indirect medical education (IME) payments to support workforce capacity needs and respond to challenges, and heard about the outlook for IME.

Speaker:
Dean Cocchi, CPA, MBA
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer
UF Health Jacksonville

Matt Hicks, MBA
Vice President
Sellers Dorsey

Stella Lee, MPH
Associate Director
Sellers Dorsey 

Mason Van Houweling, MS
CEO
University Medical Center of Southern Nevada

This session explored the history and evolution of Medicaid managed care directed payments. With the significant growth in state and provider reliance on directed payments, this session provided attendees with a foundational understanding of the policy history and current scrutiny of directed payments and the critical role they play in essential hospital financing.

Speakers:
Eva Johnson, JD
Senior Advisor, Eyman Associates

Erin O’Malley
Senior Director of Policy
America’s Essential Hospitals

Daniel Tsai, deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, returned to this year’s Summit to share Medicaid-related developments from the past year, his outlook for the program, and how Medicaid is advancing equity.

Speaker:
Daniel Tsai
Director
Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services

This session explored advancing equity in Medicaid through Section 1115 waivers and managed care directed payment programs. Attendees heard from two essential hospital leaders currently working with their respective states to navigate the next steps in addressing health disparities and improving equity for Medicaid beneficiaries.

Speakers:
Erica Murray, MPA
President and CEO
California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems

Shannon Sale, MHA
Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer
Grady Health