Summary
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield's President of Commercial Business in Georgia, Amanda Free, emphasizes the need for innovative solutions in the state's unique healthcare landscape. With a background in risk management and extensive experience in the insurance and healthcare sectors, Free highlights the importance of making healthcare simpler, more navigable, and affordable for Georgians. She notes that while challenges in Georgia mirror national trends, the state's rural areas face distinct obstacles, including limited access to various healthcare services.
Free discusses the company's efforts to enhance care accessibility, particularly in rural communities, by partnering with independent practices and expanding networks. She stresses the significance of data sharing and connectivity in value-based care initiatives, which aim to improve healthcare outcomes while managing costs. As rising health insurance premiums become a pressing concern for voters, Free outlines strategies such as member engagement tools and curated networks designed to help mitigate these costs.
The conversation also touches on the broader implications of policy changes, particularly regarding independent dispute resolution, which has unexpectedly increased costs rather than reducing them. Free concludes by underscoring the necessity of building trust among all stakeholders in the healthcare system to effectively address affordability and access challenges.
Show Notes
In this episode, Amanda Free, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia Commercial President, discusses improving healthcare affordability, expanding access in rural communities, strengthening value-based care partnerships and helping members make smarter choices about where and how they receive care.
More from Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
In this episode, Jody Reyes, Chief Operating Officer of the Clinical Enterprise at UI Health Care, University of Iowa Health Care, joins the podcast to discuss the importance of accountability and ownership in healthcare leadership. She also shares insights on navigating the changing economics of healthcare and adapting operational strategies to meet evolving organizational challenges.
This episode recorded live at the Becker's 11th Annual Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Conference features Deb Anderson, MBA, Chief Information Officer, Endeavor Health, discussing the integration of three electronic health records into one system, technology simplification, and strategies for managing costs while advancing digital transformation.
In this episode, Jennifer Jasmine Arfaa, PhD, CPXP, Senior Vice President, Chief Patient Experience Officer, Westchester Medical Center Health Network, discusses improving patient experience by connecting quality, safety, employee engagement, and patient feedback.
In this episode, Matt Hare, Vice President of Network Growth and Client Success, CoverMyMeds, and Bill Sicheneder, Vice President of Network Sales, CoverMyMeds, discuss how healthcare organizations can reduce medication access barriers through stronger connectivity, streamlined workflows, and strategic partnerships. They also explore preparing for benefits reverification season and building scalable systems that improve efficiency and patient access.
In this episode, Bahar Bazmi, Chief Revenue Cycle Officer at WVU Health System, joins the podcast to discuss the revenue cycle through the lens of the “sandwich analogy” and how its different components work together to support financial performance. She also shares insights on defining success over the next year and empowering staff to strengthen revenue cycle operations.