#SamSays is a weekly podcast series hosted by Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans. Host, Samantha Olds Frey, is Chief Operating Officer of IAMHP and discusses an array of topics in and around the Illinois Medicaid managed care space relevant to
Stephanie Atella, Chief Program Officer at the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, joins the podcast to talk about their Medicaid Redeterminations outreach efforts and the importance of keeping children covered here in Illinois.
Joe Gagnon, CEO at 1upHealth - an IAMHP Trusted Partner - joins Samantha to talk about how 1upHealth is using modernizing data sharing in the healthcare space to improve health outcomes.
Heather Holberg, Director of Eligibility and Enrollment at CountyCare Health Plan stops by the podcast to talk about how MCOs in Illinois are supporting Medicaid Redetermination efforts in creative and effective ways.
Sergio Obregón, Special Assistant to the Director in the Division of Medical Eligibility at the Department of Healthcare and Family services (HFS) joins Samantha to talk about Medicaid Redeterminations here in Illinois.
Sara Howe, Senior Director at Third Horizon Strategies, is back with Samantha to talk about the importance of recovery support service models when working toward improving health outcomes.
Andrew Shadid, CEO of Genesis Orthopedics and Sports Medicine - an IAMHP Trusted Partner - stops by the podcast to talk about the work they are doing to improve health equity and access to Medicaid members in Illinois.
Miranda Motter, Senior Vice President of State Affairs and Policy at America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) joins Samantha to talk about Medicaid Redeterminations from a national perspective.
Jill Hayden, Director at Sellers Dorsey, is back to discuss how the Medicaid 1115 Behavioral Health Transformation Waiver is evolving to better meet the needs of Medicaid members and improve health outcomes in Illinois.
Rebecca Kidd, Program Manager at Molina Healthcare of Illinois, joins Samantha to talk about how Molina is bringing high quality healthcare to its members through their new mobile unit.
Laura Minzer, President of Illinois Life & Health Insurance Council, is back to help Samantha breakdown new health insurance laws that came out of the 2023 Legislative Session.
IAMHP Legislative Consultant, John Lowder, returns to the podcast to talk about the 2024 State Budget and what it means for the Medicaid program in Illinois.
Trisha Rodriquez, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations at IAMHP, returns to the podcast to talk about significant reform that came out of the 2023 Legislative Session in Springfield that promotes health equity and access to healthcare services for Medicaid members.
Joyce Moffitt, Director of the Greater Chicago Chapter of Safe Families for Children, joins Samantha to talk about the work they're doing to support the safety of children in Illinois and keep families together through crises and hardships. For more information visit Safe-Families.org.
Utica Gray, National Director at Fresh Start Caring for Kids Foundation, joins the podcast to talk about the importance of providing life-changing surgeries for children at no-cost. For more information visit http://www.freshstartkids.org.
Juli Goldstein, VP of Government Affairs and Market Access at Digital Diagnostics, an IAMHP Trusted Partner, stops by the podcast to talk about the use of AI to improve access to care and critical eye health outcomes in diabetes patients.
Jean Drummond, President at HCD International, joins Samantha to talk about how we as an industry can use social influencers of health to drive improved health outcomes.
Kaitlin Shepherd, Sr. Director of Government Health Plans at HHAeXchange, an IAMHP Trusted Partner, and Andrew Segal, CEO of Ansega Health Solutions join Samantha to discuss the importance of effective data to drive better healthcare outcomes.
Illinois State Representative LaShawn Ford joins Samantha to talk about the importance of Opioid and Heroin overdose prevention and the risk of losing coverage during Medicaid redeterminations.
Phil Stalboerger, VP of Public Affairs at MTM, an IAMHP Trusted Partner, returns to the podcast to discuss how MTM continues to address social influencers of health through transportation.
Isaac Palmer, CEO of Qartek, an IAMHP Trusted Partner, joins the podcast for a very timely discussion on how they are working to meet the increased need of advanced outreach and engagement for the Medicaid program during the redetermination period here in Illinois.
Jennifer Sprague, LTSS Manager at Molina HealthCare of Illinois, talks to Samantha about the importance of value-based care and care coordination.
IAMHP Legislative Consultant, John Lowder, returns to the podcast to talk about the governor's recent budget address and what it means for the Medicaid program here in Illinois.
Bruno Van Tuykom, Co-Founder and CEO of TwentyEight Health, an IAMHP Trusted Partner, is back to talk about how his telemedicine company is working to improve health outcomes in low-income, underserved, and under-resourced communities.
Laura Minzer, President of Illinois Life & Health Insurance Council returns to the podcast to help breakdown the world of healthcare financing during a pivotal time in the space.
Jill Hayden, Director at Sellers Dorsey, joins Samantha to talk about the unwinding of the public health emergency, implications for the Medicaid program in Illinois and what we know so far as everyone prepares for the start of redeterminations.
Pat Schou, Executive Director at the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, returns to the podcast to continue the conversation on the landscape of rural hospitals in Illinois and all that's on the horizon for this new year.
IAMHP Lobbyist and regular guest Kareem Kenyatta stops by the podcast to talk to Samantha about how this year's Illinois Legislative Session is kicking off.
Meesha Dogan, CEO and Co-Founder of Cardio Diagnostics, an IAMHP Trusted Partner, joins Samantha to talk about the fascinating topic of cardiovascular disease research and the intersection of epigenetics and technology.
Sam Says is back! In this first episode of 2023, IAMHP staff take time to reflect upon the great year they've had, all of the hard work accomplished and how the association is going to continue to work towards improving the Medicaid program in Illinois in the new year.
Terry Williams, Director of Health Services at Humana stops by the podcast to talk about some of the innovative ways plans are approaching long-term care.
Pat Schou, Executive Director at the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network joins Samantha to share her expertise on the landscape of rural hospitals in Illinois and how they are working to provide better access to care.
Vivian Moore, Director of Complex Care Coordination, Waiver and Long-Term Care at CountyCare is back to talk about the importance of long-term care rebalancing and how plans track success in the space.
Courtney Sedlacek, Director of Medical Case Management for the LTC program at Meridian stops by the podcast to talk about the value of long-term care for Medicaid members.
Nicole Tamburrino, LCSW, Director of Medical Management at Meridian joins Samantha to talk about how health plans are taking a holistic approach to behavioral health for Medicaid members.
Lori Lomahan, Director of Healthcare Services at Molina Healthcare of Illinois, talks to Samantha about the great work Molina is doing in the long-term care space.
Stacey Stewart, Director for Long-Term Care Solutions at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, joins Samantha to discuss the work plans are doing to improve long-term care for Medicaid members.
Debra Brophy, Director of Integrated Care Management at County Care, stopped by the podcast to talk about the great work County Care is doing in the behavioral health space.
Judith A. Cook, Professor and Director at the UIC Center on Mental Health Services Research and Policy, joins Samantha to discuss the work at the center and how they are addressing the increased need for behavioral health services.
Emily Miller, Vice President of Behavioral Health at the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF), joins Samantha to talk about the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline and its implementation here in Illinois.
Phil Stalboerger, VP of Public Affairs at MTM, an IAMHP Trusted Partner, joins Samantha to discuss non-emergency medical transportation and how MTM works to prioritize Business Enterprise Providers (BEP) owned by minorities, women and those with disabilities.
Riley Cleary, Prevention Program Manager at the Illinois Association of Behavioral Health stops by the podcast to talk about the great work the organization is doing through their Youth Mental Health First Aid and Addiction Prevention programs.
IAMHP Legislative Consultant, John Lowder, joins Samantha to talk about public policy in Illinois and the state budget.
Sara Howe, Senior Director at Third Horizon Strategies, joins Samantha to talk about the mental health of youth and current trends.
Lindsey Artola, President of Sage Health Strategy, joins Samantha to talk about healthcare transformation and the importance of partnership in the ever-changing world of healthcare.
IAMHP Lobbyist Kareem Kenyatta joins Samantha to update us on the Illinois legislative landscape, providing an overview from the year and a snapshot of what's to come.
Dr. Tom Allen, Executive Medical Director of Behavioral Health at BCBSIL, and Chief Psychiatrist for the BCBSIL Medicaid plan joins Samantha to talk about how Medicaid Managed Care Organizations are paving the way for Behavioral Health in Illinois.
Angela Kimball, Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy at Inseparable, joins the podcast to talk about how this initiative is working to close the gap on access to critical mental health services for all.
Policy expert, Jill Hayden, Director at Sellers Dorsey, is back with Sam to discuss what is going on in the world of behavioral health in Illinois.
Trisha Rodriquez, Director of Public Policy and Government Relations at IAMHP, is back with Sam to discuss the behavioral health legislation that IAMHP supported to improve access to behavioral health services in Illinois.
Lita Simanis, Help Line Volunteer for the Postpartum Depression Alliance of Illinois, joins Samantha to discuss the importance of supporting the mental health of mothers and how beneficial it can be for the wellbeing of the entire family.
As IAMHP transitions our third quarter focus to behavioral health, Jen McGowan-Tomke, Chief Operating Officer at NAMI Chicago, joins Sam to discuss the importance of addressing mental health through a social equity lens.