Never Ending Medicaid Conference: Episode 4

Vern Smith is a nationally lauded expert in Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, state budgets and trends in the health care marketplace. He has authored numerous reports on current issues in Medicaid and CHIP, state strategies for containing health care costs and improving quality, and state preparations for the health reform.

Vern has presented before many national and state audiences, including the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments, the National Association of State Budget Officers, the National Association of State Medicaid Directors, the National Health Policy Forum, committees of the U.S. Congress, and Medicaid reform groups in several states.

He has been a guest on National Public Radio and is an often quoted public health policy expert for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and USA Today.

Vern had a distinguished 30-year public service career, serving as Michigan Medicaid director and as budget director for the human services agency.

Vern holds a PhD in economics from Michigan State University. He serves on the board of trustees of Anderson University, his undergraduate alma mater.

Matt Salo was named Executive Director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) in February 2011. The association represents all 56 of the nation’s state and territorial Medicaid Directors, and provides them with a strong unified voice in national discussions as well as a locus for technical assistance and best practices.

Matt formerly spent 12 years at the National Governors Association, where he worked on the Governors’ health care and human services reform agendas, and spent the 5 years prior to that as a health policy analyst working for the state Medicaid Directors as part of the American Public Human Services Association.

Matt also spent two years as a substitute teacher in the public school system in Alexandria, VA, and holds a BA in Eastern Religious Studies from the University of Virginia.

Leslie is a VP for Aarete, a global consulting firm. She has more than 35 years of managed care pharmacy experience, primarily in government programs with payers and PBMs. Leslie has extensive experience with developing and leading practical strategies that decrease costs and improve quality. Leslie has applied her extensive industry knowledge and expertise to assist health plans, PBMs, technology and clinical care organizations address strategic and operational issues, improving their performance.

Leslie’s previous experience includes her own consulting firm, Saba and Associates, LLC, a New York State certified Women Business Enterprise; Chief Operating Officer of Clinical Support Services, a medication therapy management software and services company; Senior Vice President for Amerigroup (acquired by Anthem), where she led the pharmacy program for one of the nation’s largest Medicaid managed care organizations, Vice President of Pharmacy for Horizon NJ Health, the largest Medicaid managed care plan in New Jersey. Leslie also led operational improvement initiatives at NCS Healthcare (long term care), PSCNY (PBM) and Medco mail service pharmacy in New York.

Leslie serves on the AMCP Public Policy committee and MTM advisory group.

Meryl F Price is the founder and President of Health Policy Matters, Inc (HM). HPM's mission is to transform healthcare systems for vulnerable populations. We improve quality, cost-effectiveness and person-centeredness of healthcare delivery for our consulting clients. HPM has a track-record of providing evidence-based, innovative services that help our clients organize and integrate care across the continuum.

Ark Department of Human Services 1974-2003, Arkansas Medicaid Director 1986-2003, Chairman of National Association of State Medicaid Directors for five years. Client Industry Executive EDS/Hewlett Packard 2003-2010 doing sales support and consulting.....voted global Client Industry Executive of year 2007, President and CEO of the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care 2003-present, a 40 year old, 200 employee healthcare quality improvement organization.

Author of 16 Arkansas history books

Len has done so much in the healthcare space its impossible to do it justice in a simple bio. Highlights include being State President of AARP of Arizona, the former Medicaid Director for Arizona, and 22 years of active duty in the United States Air Force. He is also a physician and regular on the Medicaid conference circuit.