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Verlon Johnson, chief strategy officer at Acentra Health, has years of experience working at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, first in Medicare and then in Medicaid. She left to work in the private sector, but her current role at Accentra Health allows her return to her roots with a twist: modernizing the Medicaid program.
She is also the current chairperson of MACPAC, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission.
Johnson knows Medicaid and what budget cuts from passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act means for states.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates a $900 billion cut to the program. Between 9.9 million and 14.9 million people are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage due to new work requirements and increased eligibility verification.
Cuts of this size will force states to make hard choices, Johnson said. But there are strategies states can use to mitigate the impact.
“We’re at the moment where we can reconfigure how Medicaid delivers value,” Johnson said. “Budgets are tight but innovation doesn’t have to be a major spend… I don’t believe that the only path forward is one of scarcity or sacrifice.”
For more on Johnson’s recommendations, listen to her conversation with Susan Morse, executive editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Talking Points:
Budget cuts means states are looking at cutting services and/or narrowing eligibility.
States need to get more value from current systems.
Streamlining oversight can reduce administrative burdens.
States can focus on fortifying eligibility and enrollment platforms.
They can also enhance how data is shared and acted upon.
AI is emerging as a pivotal driver for modernizing Medicaid for such factors as verification of eligibility.
More About this Episode:
Hospital groups say Medicaid cuts threaten financial stability
Medicare, Medicaid and where the country is headed
How one safety net health system is preparing for Medicaid cuts
Medicaid, ACA enrollment expected to decrease under One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Senate boosts rural hospital fund to offset Medicaid cuts
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org