Once again, WAHP is pleased to offer a series of relevant education sessions during its 2025 Annual Meeting!

See the full list of speakers with bios here.

Educational programming includes an opening and closing session, along with four breakout sessions:

• Opening session: Medicaid Trends and Transformations
  •  Speaker: Bill Hanna, Wisconsin Medicaid Director
    
    
• Breakout Sessions:
  
  
  • Prior Authorization: Proven Approaches and Policy Applications 
    • Moderator: Dr. Mark Huth, GHC of South Central Wisconsin
    • Panelist: April Gill, Smart Data Solutions
    • Panelist: Andy Arends, ZeOmega
      
      
  • Addressing Complex Member Needs with Integrated Strategies
    • Moderator: Kiva Gittings Graves, iCare
    • Panelist: Jessica Gross, WI Department of Health Services
    • Panelist: Teresa Garate, HMA/Wakely
      
      
  • Fueling the Tech: New Considerations and Opportunities for Controlling Costs and Improving Health Outcomes
    • Moderator: Justin Barnes, Dean Health Plan by Medica
    • Panelist: Will Israel, Zelis
    • Panelist: Martin Dunn, Gaine Technologies
  
  
  • Workplace Wellness: Building a Healthier, Happier, More Productive Work Environment
    • Moderator: Sara Muhlbauer, Lakeland Care
    • Panelist: David Kinsey, HPS/PayMedix
    • Panelist: Emily Roberts, Lakeland Care Plus
      

• Closing session: Legislative Landscape: Politics, Policy, and the Future of Health Care in Wisconsin
  • Moderator: John Nygren, WI Association of Health Plans; Kyle Caudill, WI Association of Health Plans
  • Panelists: Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point), Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison), Rep. Alex Dallman (R-Markesan), Rep. Mike Bare (D-Verona)

*Find full education session outlines below. *

See the full list of speakers with bios here.

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Opening session: 

Medicaid Trends and Transformations

 Speaker: Bill Hanna, Wisconsin Medicaid Director

• Post-budget recap – cost to continue, fee schedule 
• Federal: OBBBA – changes coming, impact for WI over next 3-5 years NAMD perspective
• How is WI different than other states in terms of how federal policy changes impact states
• Medicaid
• Financing
• Hospital tax
• SDPs
• Badgercare/SSI
• Rate setting
• Timing/process improvements
• Quality updates

Future of integration – Dual eligibles

• Family Care
• Fee schedule
• Preview of pending October data on fee schedule implementation
• Room and Board
• Quality updates
• Other trends in national long-term care reform
• NAMD perspective
• What other states are doing and what Wisconsin can learn
• Offer insight for strategic positioning and service delivery changes ahead of federal or state-level reforms.
• Q&A if time allows

 

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Breakout sessions:

Fueling the Tech: New Considerations and Opportunities for Controlling Costs and Improving Health Outcomes

Moderator: Justin Barnes, Dean Health Plan by Medica

Panelist: Will Israel, Zelis

Panelist: Martin Dunn, Gaine Technologies

This session will explore the applications of technological advancements for health plans and considerations for health plans as new treatments and therapies enter the market. The panel will discuss the following themes by outlining several case studies:

• Technology (ex: AI) for cost-saving opportunities
  • Utilization management tools
• Addressing increasing pharmaceutical costs
  • High cost therapeutics/drugs
• Using Predictive Analytics to Improve Health Outcomes
  • Identifying risk before it becomes high-cost or high-need
• Tools for flagging gaps in care
  
  

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Addressing Complex Member Needs with Integrated Strategies

Moderator: Kiva Gittings Graves, iCare

Panelist: Jessica Gross, WI Department of Health Services

Panelist: Teresa Garate, HMA/Wakely

 This session will discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with coordinating care across the care continuum, including operational considerations and policy trends, including:

• Processes for supporting individuals with co-occurring I/DD and SPMI diagnoses through cross-system coordination
• Strategies for collaboration between health plans, MCOs, primary care, behavioral health, and HCBS providers
• Opportunities for care coordination to:
  • Reduce ER utilization
  • Improve outcomes for high-risk members
  • Ensure continuity of care across medical and social supports

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Workplace Wellness: Building a Healthier, Happier, More Productive Work Environment 

Moderator: Sara Muhlbauer, Lakeland Care

Panelist: David Kinsey, HPS/PayMedix

Panelist: Emily Roberts, Lakeland Care Plus

This session explores emerging best practices and discusses the strategic value of workplace wellness programs and their impact on employee health, engagement, and organizational  performance. Panelists  will discuss strategies to improve wellness among employees, as well as the return on investment on workplace wellness initiatives. Potential panel topics include:

• Best practices/new ideas to promote wellness among employees and to foster a work environment that recognizes changing workplace dynamics
• Additional benefits associated with employee wellness

• Retention
• Preventing burnout
• Productivity
• Becoming a more sought-after employer to all generations of working age
  

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Prior Authorization: Proven Approaches and Policy Applications

Moderator: Dr. Mark Huth, GHC of South Central Wisconsin

Panelist: April Gill, Smart Data Solutions

Panelist: TBD, ZeOmega

This session will review health plan-driven solutions to arising challenges related to prior authorization, including how adopting new processes and strategies can position health plans for continued success while ensuring plan members get the health care they need while also being mindful of rising costs within the health care sector. The session will also discuss new and  developing policy considerations.

• Exploring differences between WI’s community-based plans and national trends/data
• Identifying and dissecting recent plan-driven innovations
• Denials vs. redirections
• The use of technological advancements while maintaining review standards
• Policy considerations

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Closing Session: 

Legislative Landscape: Politics, Policy, and the Future of Health Care in Wisconsin

Moderator: John Nygren, Wisconsin Association of Health Plans; Kyle Caudill, Wisconsin Association of Health Plans
Panelists: Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point), Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison), Rep. Alex Dallman (R-Markesan), Rep. Mike Bare (D-Verona)

• Discussion will include:
  • Pending bills
  • State Budget impact
  • Governor’s proposals
  • Future of Wisconsin politics - electoral landscape, partisan shifts, power dynamics

 

See the full list of speakers with bios here.