Insights

HMA Insights: Your source for healthcare news, ideas and analysis.

HMA Insights puts the vast depth of HMA’s expertise at your fingertips, helping you stay informed about the latest healthcare trends and topics. Below, you can easily search based on your topic of interest to find useful information from our blogs, webinars, case studies, reports and more.

Show All | Blogs | Webinars | Weekly Roundup | Videos | Case Studies | Reports | News | Solutions

Filter by topic:

Receive timely expert insights on topics you care about.

Select Topics

43 Results found.

HMA News

New experts join HMA in November 2023

Read News

HMA is pleased to welcome new experts to our family of companies in November 2023.

Ken Cochran – Principal
HMA

Kenneth Cochran is a healthcare executive with more than 20 years leveraging his clinical, business and academic background to deliver strategic planning, operational excellence, top-line revenue growth, positive physician relations and organizational alignment.

Matt Smith – Consulting Actuary I
Wakely

Matt Smith, ASA, has experience with population health analytics, total cost of care analysis, value-based care contracts, financial modeling, pricing and reserving, and risk adjustment. Read more about Matt.

Jimmy Mans – Consulting Actuary I
Wakely

Jimmy Mans, FSA, MAAA, has extensive experience working with health plans, providers, state and federal governments, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Read more about Jimmy.

Read more about our new HMA colleagues

HMA News

Nine States Selected for Children’s Behavioral Health Policy Lab

Read News

State behavioral health and children’s welfare agency officials from Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin selected to participate.

Health Management Associates (HMA), in partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Programs, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), and the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD), will convene a Children’s Behavioral Health (CBH) State Policy Lab, February 7-9 in Baltimore. HMA today announced the selection of nine states – Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin – that will participate in the policy lab. MITRE, which previously hosted a related federal convening, will also take part in this state convening.

This pioneering effort, made possible by the partner organizations, aims to convene state interagency teams – including child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, Medicaid, and K-12 public education – to collectively strategize, learn from innovators in the sector and promote cross-system alignment to drive outcomes for children, youth, and families.

COVID-19 has exacerbated long-standing system collaboration challenges across state child welfare, behavioral health, and Medicaid that lead to unsatisfactory outcomes for the most vulnerable children in our communities. Most worrisome is the worsening of behavioral and physical health challenges and trauma because of uncoordinated or fragmented care. This lack of coordinated strategy and policy leads to higher costs of treatment and also increasingly exposes states and local jurisdictions to threats or filings of class action lawsuits, and related settlements or those arising from Department of Justice investigations. Fortunately, federal and state efforts and investments to address the youth systems of care – including schools, community, delivery systems, and community-based child placing agencies – are in motion.

In November, a call for applications was released to U.S. states and territories for potential participation in the State Policy Lab. Applicants were required to identify demonstrated need, existing state agency governance structures focused on children and youth, technical assistance needs, and outcomes for attending the policy lab. The applications required demonstrated participation from Medicaid, child welfare and behavioral health agencies; a commitment to creating sustainable interagency solutions for children, youth, and their families and had to certify formal support of Governor/Cabinet level.

An external independent panel reviewed applications for state agency participation using a standardized rubric that covered four domains:

  • Gaps and opportunities analysis
  • Intent of collaborative partnerships
  • Approach to engagement of youth and adults with lived experience
  • Imminent risks to public agency operations as a result of poor outcomes for children, youth, and their families

This convening is aimed at assisting child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, Medicaid, and K-12 public education where possible to build upon existing efforts to improve outcomes for children, youth, and families, strategically layering on missing components and promoting alignment between them and with other agency priorities. Examples of what could be co-designed with state partners:

  • Build a shared strategic vision for a comprehensive continuum of care that ensures access to the “right service, at the right time based on individual and family need.” This vision can strengthen prevention initiatives and ensure the full array of evidence-based community-based interventions including use of crisis response and stabilization models.
  • Develop policies and strategies for improving the engagement of children, youth, and families with lived experiences to the “right part of the system for the right level of care,” agnostic of the door through which they enter any coordinated child serving system, while ensuring that all aspects of this system are anchored in equity.

Following the event, learnings and findings will be disseminated to help states and counties adopt innovative solutions to improve outcomes for children, youth, and their families.

For more information email: [email protected]

HMA News

Health Management Associates Successfully Completes SOC 2 Type 2 Examination

Read News

Health Management Associates (HMA), a leading independent, national healthcare consulting firm today announced that it has successfully completed a Service Organization Control Type 2 (SOC 2 Type 2) audit.

The SOC 2 Type 2 audit was developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to evaluate an organization’s information security controls over a period of time​. It assessed both the suitability of HMA’s controls and its operating effectiveness, covering the HMA organization as a whole, service offerings, resources used to deliver client work, and technical (cybersecurity) and non-technical controls (administrative strengths such as excellent training and a culture that promotes anti-fraud and ethical behaviors).

“Increasingly, completing a SOC 2 Type 2 audit is an important distinction for many of our clients and partners,” said Doug Elwell, chief executive officer. “Achieving this with no material findings across the firm is yet another way to meet client needs and further demonstrates our commitment to our core values of accountability, client commitment and integrity.”

Founded in 1985, HMA is an independent, national research and consulting firm specializing in publicly funded healthcare and human services policy, programs, financing, and evaluation. Clients include government, public and private providers, health systems, health plans, community-based organizations, institutional investors, foundations, and associations. With offices in more than 30 locations across the country and over 700 multidisciplinary consultants coast to coast, HMA’s expertise, services, and team are always within client reach. Learn more about HMA at healthmanagement.com, or on LinkedIn and X.

HMA News

Elizabeth Mitchell to keynote HMA’s Spring Workshop on value based care March 5-6 in Chicago

Read News

We are excited to announce that Elizabeth Mitchell, President and CEO of Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH), will provide the keynote address “The Purchaser’s Dilemma: Why Employers Should Demand Value (and Why They Don’t)” at HMA’s 2024 Spring Workshop on value-based care, March 5-6 at the Fairmont in Chicago.

In her role at PBGH, a nonprofit coalition representing nearly 40 private employers and public entities across the U.S. that collectively spend $350 billion annually purchasing healthcare services for more than 21 million Americans and their families, Mitchell represents a coalition of large purchasers – private employers and public entities – across the U.S. mobilizing to create functional health care markets that support high-quality affordable care that produces measurable outcomes. She will talk about the successes and challenges of creating greater alignment on value-based approaches to the $350 billion annual private purchaser spend on healthcare services.

Her remarks – and the input of others engaged in improving our healthcare system – will be unvarnished and focused on solutions to advance value-based care. Be part of this exciting discussion among top industry experts, health plan executives, state and federal leaders, and policy experts in working sessions to generate new solutions and actions to get us to the next level of quality and value.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE SURVEY
HMA News

Fueling Change: Reflecting on a Year of Successful Collaboration

Read News

While 2023 was challenging for many, it was also a year of successful partnerships and action that fueled positive change in the lives of individuals and within communities nationwide. This short video highlights just a few examples of that critical work that happens every day.

At HMA, we are honored to serve as trusted advisors to our clients and partners as we work side by side to tackle the most complex health and human services challenges. We look forward to creating even more positive change in 2024, together.

HMA News

New experts join HMA in October 2023

Read News

HMA is pleased to welcome new experts to our family of companies in October 2023.

Anika Alvanzo- Principal
HMA

Dr. Anika Alvanzo is a distinguished healthcare executive with over 20 years of experience in specialty addiction treatment, behavioral health integration and quality improvement.

Kristine Malana Barrientos – Senior Consultant
HMA

Kristine Malana Barrientos brings expertise in the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) senior leadership and operational experience from her work in California’s PACE market.

Craig Cartossa – Consulting Actuary II
Wakely

Craig Cartossa, ASA, MAAA, has expertise in Advanced Analytics, Healthcare Economics, Medicare Part D, Value Based Contracting, and Disease Management and Care Management Predictive Modeling and ID/Stratification. Read more about Craig.

Shannon Mayer – Principal
HMA

Shannon Mayer is an impactful healthcare executive with over 30 years of experience. She is recognized for attaining results in Medicaid and Medicare Advantage’s highly regulated environments.

Cotrina McGue – Senior Consultant
HMA

Cotrina McGue is a highly skilled information technology (IT) professional with over 35 years of experience and over 25 years specializing in healthcare systems.

Patricia Miles – Senior Consultant
HMA

Patricia Miles is a performance-driven managed care leader with over 25 years of experience in the Medicaid and Medicare markets.

Jason Pettry – Senior Consultant
HMA

Jason Pettry is a dedicated healthcare executive with over 10 years of experience with the Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).

Corrie Piontak – Principal
HMA

Corrie Piontak is a skilled healthcare professional with over 15 years of focused experience in management consulting, payer and provider strategy, and partnership strategy.

Aaron Ramthun – Associate Principal
HMA

Aaron Ramthun is a financial professional with more than 20 years of experience working across the healthcare finance field, including Medicare bids, Medicaid rate book reviews, and budgeting. Aaron has a demonstrated track record of improving operational efficiency and implementing innovative forecasting practices.

Matt Smith – Consulting Actuary I
Wakely

Matt Smith, ASA, has experience with population health analytics, total cost of care analysis, value-based care contracts, financial modeling, pricing and reserving, and risk adjustment. Read more about Matt.

Read more about our new HMA colleagues

Anika Alvanzo

Anika Alvanzo

Principal

Shannon Mayer

Shannon Mayer

Principal

Cotrina McGue

Cotrina McGue

Senior Consultant

Patricia Miles

Patricia Miles

Senior Consultant

Jason Pettry

Jason Pettry

Senior Consultant

Aaron Ramthun

Aaron Ramthun

Associate Principal

HMA News

HMA Information Services names Andrea Maresca as Managing Director

Read News

Health Management Associates has named Andrea Maresca as Managing Director of HMA Information Services, one of the nation’s leading subscription-based repositories of data and public documents on publicly sponsored healthcare programs.

Maresca replaces HMAIS founding publisher Carl Mercurio, who will stay on as Senior Advisor until the end of the year when he retires after nearly a decade with HMA and 37 years in business information publishing.

Maresca has more than two decades of healthcare experience, having served in private and public organizations including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD).  She joined HMA in 2021.

HMA News

New experts join HMA in September 2023

Read News

HMA is pleased to welcome new experts to our family of companies in September 2023.

Dan Castillo – Managing Principal
HMA

Dan Castillo is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 20 years of experience in health administration. He specializes in health systems strategy, hospital leadership, medical group management, population health and academic medicine.

Laura Brown – Director
Leavitt Partners

Laura Brown is a food and drug attorney who leverages her 10-plus years of legal analytic experience to provide federal policy counsel and analysis to clients and support multi-sector alliances. Read more about Laura.

Teresa Garate – Principal
HMA

Teresa Garate is an experienced and innovative leader with over 30 years of experience leading systems change, innovation and growth in the complex environments of public health, healthcare, public education, higher education and government.

Falon Owen – Principal
HMA

Falon Owen is a healthcare strategist with over 15 years of experience in product development and operations.

Kathleen Cahill – Associate Principal
HMA

Kathleen Cahill is a solutions-driven C-Suite executive with more than 40 years of experience in healthcare operations, working for entities and organizations across the healthcare industry.

Susan Arcidiacono – Principal
HMA

Susan Arcidiacono is an accomplished health plan executive with more than 25 years of experience in Medi-Cal managed care and Medicare D-SNP.

Dena Hasan – Associate Principal
HMA

Dena Hasan is a forward-thinking executive with over 20 years of experience in public and private sector healthcare and social services.

Jeff Wittcoff – Consulting Actuary II
Wakely

Jeff Wittcoff has expertise is in provider contracting and assessment, healthcare program evaluation, digital care initiatives, trend forecasting, and actuarial applications of healthcare modeling. Read more about Jeff.

Patricia Miles – Senior Consultant
HMA

Patricia Miles is a performance-driven managed care leader with over 25 years of experience in the Medicaid and Medicare markets.

Patrick Meadors – Senior Consultant
HMA

Patrick Meadors is a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 15 years of clinical behavioral health and integrated care experience.

Dan Rhodes – Principal
HMA

Dan Rhodes is a results-driven healthcare operations and compliance executive with over 25 years of successful leadership experience with blue-chip companies.

Read more about our new HMA colleagues

Kathleen Cahill

Kathleen Cahill

Associate Principal

Dan Castillo

Dan Castillo

Managing Principal

Teresa Garate

Teresa Garate

Principal

Dena Hasan

Dena Hasan

Associate Principal

Patrick Meadors

Patrick Meadors

Senior Consultant

Patricia Miles

Patricia Miles

Senior Consultant

Falon Owen

Falon Owen

Principal

Dan Rhodes

Dan Rhodes

Principal

HMA News

Health Management Associates Expands Footprint in North Carolina, New Orleans

Read News

Health Management Associates (HMA), a leading independent, national healthcare consulting firm today announced that it is establishing offices in North Carolina and New Orleans.

In North Carolina, HMA will have a presence in Raleigh and Charlotte with plans to continue building out the North Carolina team in the coming months.

The Focus Group, based in New Orleans, joined HMA in 2022, and HMA continues to expand its footprint there adding new colleagues from the area to its roster of experts. They will share office space at The Focus Group’s current Poydras Street location.

“Our firm’s continued growth is designed to support the current and future needs of our clients across the country,” said Doug Elwell, HMA’s chief executive officer. “We are excited to plant roots in North Carolina and expand our talented team in New Orleans as we help clients successfully navigate the toughest challenges facing healthcare and human services.”

About HMA

Founded in 1985, HMA is an independent, national research and consulting firm specializing in publicly funded healthcare and human services policy, programs, financing, and evaluation. Clients include government, public and private providers, health systems, health plans, community-based organizations, institutional investors, foundations, and associations. With offices in more than 30 locations across the country and over 700 multidisciplinary consultants coast to coast, HMA’s expertise, services, and team are always within client reach. Learn more about HMA at healthmanagement.com, or on LinkedIn and X.

HMA News

New experts join HMA in August 2023

Read News

HMA is pleased to welcome new experts to our family of companies in August 2023.

Amanda Shephard – Senior Account Supervisor
Lovell Communications

Amanda Shephard has spent her entire career in the public health industry. Her vast experience in communications and marketing allows her clients to deliver innovative solutions to optimize health care messaging and delivery, streamline operations and improve patient outcomes. Read more about Amanda

Dianne Bisacky – Principal
HMA

Dianne Bisacky is a seasoned professional with C-Level executive experience and a strategic mindset dedicated to driving growth and implementing innovative solutions.

Sheila Wilson – Principal
HMA

Sheila Wilson is a registered nurse with over 35 years of experience in both the clinical and managed care environments.

Read more about our new HMA colleagues

Sheila Wilson

Sheila Wilson

Principal

HMA News

New experts join HMA in July 2023

Read News

HMA is pleased to welcome new experts to our family of companies in July 2023.

Zach Davis – Senior Consulting Actuary
Wakely

Zach has a wide range of actuarial experience helping both payers and providers manage risk. Read more about Zach

Vicki Loner – Principal
HMA

Vicki Loner has nearly 30 years of dedicated experience as an executive leader, registered nurse, and certified healthcare administrator with expertise in clinical nursing, case management, quality improvement, managed care and accountable care organization (ACO) healthcare operations.

Ryan Paul – Associate Principal
HMA

Ryan Paul is an accomplished leader experienced in federally qualified health center (FQHC)/rural health clinic (RHC) contracting, value-based contract management, negotiations, regulatory compliance, vendor relationships, request for proposal (RFP) development, strategic planning, project management, process improvements, financial modeling, and budgeting. 

Ann-Marie Price – Senior Consultant
HMA

Ann-Marie Price is a seasoned healthcare expert with more than 20 years of experience spanning policy development and implementation, government and community affairs, and strategic and operational administration in hospitals, clinics, federally qualified health centers, managed healthcare plans, and telemedicine.

Kaya Tith – Senior Consultant
HMA

Kaya Tith is a senior consultant with over a decade of experience working in the fields of maternal and child health, community-based health services, and prevention and early intervention.

Read more about our new HMA colleagues

Vicki Loner

Vicki Loner

Principal

Ryan Paul

Ryan Paul

Associate Principal

Ann Marie Price

Ann-Marie Price

Senior Consultant

Kaya Tith

Kaya Tith

Senior Consultant

HMA News

New experts join HMA in June 2023

Read News

HMA is pleased to welcome new experts to our family of companies in June 2023.

Anthony Federico – Senior Consultant
HMA

Anthony Federico is a seasoned government and non-profit leader with 12 years of expertise in housing, homelessness, and healthcare. He excels in developing and implementing innovative programs, executing Medicaid waivers, and cultivating cross-sector partnerships.

Melanie Johnson – Senior Consultant
HMA

Melanie Johnson is a seasoned public healthcare professional with over 15 years of experience working in federal and state government roles. Melanie’s expertise includes Medicaid state plan and waiver development, continuous quality improvement, and ongoing monitoring of policies and operations of federal and state programs.

Marcel Loh – Principal
HMA

Marcel Loh is an accomplished healthcare executive and leader with extensive experience collaborating with government leaders, insurers, and stakeholders to deliver value and achieve results.  His expertise extends to many diverse hospital structures including military, for profit, not for profit, religious, rural, urban, large systems and safety net hospitals.

Erin Russell – Principal
HMA

Erin Russell is a dedicated harm reduction expert with an unwavering commitment to public health and equity.  

Andrew Schalk – Senior Consultant
HMA

Andrew Schalk is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in Medicaid programs and hospital reimbursement policy.

Andrew Schwarze – Consulting Actuary
Wakely

Andrew Schwarze is an actuary with expertise in Medicaid rate analysis and risk adjustment. Read more about Andrew.

Zach Sherman – Principal
HMA

Zach Sherman is an Affordable Care Act (ACA) expert and Health Insurance Marketplace leader with extensive experience with start-ups and turnarounds. He is a strategic organizational leader who excels in building and enhancing team performance and has an impeccable ability to foster consensus among government leaders, insurers, and stakeholders to deliver value and achieve results.

Read more about our new HMA colleagues

Anthony Federico

Senior Consultant

Melanie Johnson

Melanie Johnson

Senior Consultant

Marcel Loh

Marcel Loh

Principal

Erin Russell

Erin Russell

Principal

Andrew Schalk

Andrew Schalk

Senior Consultant

Zach Sherman

Zach Sherman

Managing Principal