Event Schedule
Continental Breakfast
Chairperson’s Welcome
Lessons Learned from a Complicated, Contentious, and Confusing AEP for 2026 Planning
- Reduced CMS Reimbursement
- Increased Utilization
- Formulary Focus
- Changes to TPMO/Broker Contracts and Payments
- Major Portfolio Changes Service Area Changes
Heather Smith,
Vice President, Retail Market Sales,
Geisinger Health Plan
CREATING WINNING NEW PRODUCTS: KEY MARKET DIFFERENTIATORS
Panel Discussion: Redesigning the MA Product Portfolio: Delivering Products that Are Compliant, Aligned with Seniors’ Evolving Needs, and Reflect Value, Choice, and Affordability
Moderator:
Henry W. Osowski,
Managing Partner,
Strategic Health Group
Panelists:
Jordan Strobeck,
Director of Business Development and Sales,
Community Health Plan of Washington
Andrew Bell,
Senior Manager,
ProspHire
Craig W. Fisher
Director, Product Development & Growth Initiatives
Jefferson Health Plans
Navigating Significant Product Reductions and Winning When Your Plan Doesn’t Have the Richest Benefits: A 2025 AEP Case Study
Scott Norman,
Vice President, Medicare,
Priority Health
Evaluating Your Benefit Package Against the Competition: Conducting a Competitive Analysis of Product, Network, Benefits, Disenrollments, Growth, and Member Composition
Todd Rau,
Director Sales and Client Relationships,
Indiana University Health Plans, Inc.
Lisa Franklin,
Director of Individual Medicare Business (P&L) and Product & Marketing Strategy (Government Programs),
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Winning Value-Based Care (VBC) in Medicare Advantage: Target What Matters Most to Members
With CMS ending the VBID model by 2025, advancing value-based solutions for vulnerable seniors is vital. VBC is all about putting members first. It tailors benefits and services to meet people where they are, making healthcare more personal, effective, and sustainable. From reduced-cost, high-value care to flexible benefits like transportation, healthy meals, telehealth, and wellness planning, VBC helps members—especially those who are underserved, frail, have special needs, or chronic conditions—get the right care, in the right place, at the right time. This approach holds promise for better health outcomes, greater access, fewer chronic conditions, and stronger support for healthy aging:
- Make Benefits Personal: Use data to understand what members need and build benefits that fit their health conditions, life situations, and where they live. This helps solve problems early and keeps members healthier longer.
- Help Members Use High-Value Care: Show members how and why to use flex benefits in clear, simple ways. Make it easy for them to take action and stay on track with healthy habits.
- Connect the Dots in Healthcare: Work with providers, technology, and services to share information and deliver care seamlessly. This ensures members get the right support wherever they are in their care journey.
- Build on What Works: Track progress with data and member feedback. Use those insights to improve care, boost satisfaction, and deliver real results like better Star ratings, healthier members, and stronger brand equity.
Mina Chang, PhD, FACHE,
Senior Policy Adviser,
Ohio Department of Aging
Morning Refreshment Break
Panel Discussion: Leveraging Supplemental Benefits as a Market Differentiator: Identifying the Supplemental Benefits that Drive MA Enrollment and Member Satisfaction
Zachary Dennett, VP,
Merchandising,
CVS Health
Martina Lee Strickland,
Chief Growth Officer,
Clever Care Health Plan5
Kate Miller,
Director,
Medicare Strategy, Healthfirst
Developing Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill: Ensuring Evidence-Based Health Improvements that Reach and Benefit Intended Enrollees
Setting a Comprehensive Part D Strategy: Ensuring Your MAPD Product Positioning is Attracting the Members You Want and Driving Sustainable Growth
Gary Melis,
Clinical Pharmacist,
Network Health
Luncheon
DUAL ELIGIBLES/SNP’S
Evaluating Supplemental Benefits for a Dual Eligible Membership
Beth Ann Marootian,
Vice President, Strategy & Business Development,
Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island
Mark Cooper,
Vice President of Medicare Medicaid Product,
Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island
Increasing Your Investment and Focus on the D-SNP Population: Harnessing Opportunities for Growth
Casman Mosby,
Director, Marketing & Sales,
MetroHealth
Improving D-SNP Member Outreach: Easing Barriers of Engagement and Creating Personalized Messaging for This Vulnerable Population
Carmalitha Gumbs, MBA, MHA,
Head of Marketing, Branding & Communications,
Sonder Health Plans
Special Needs Planning and Opportunity for Kidney Care and Related SNPs
Lance Donkerbrook,
CEO,
Commonwealth Primary Care ACO
Afternoon Refreshment Break
NEW MARKET PENETRATION AND SEGMENT GROWTH
Panel Discussion:Responding To the Potential for an Increased Shopping Rate During the AEP: Strategies to Stand Out in a Crowded and Noisy Market
Panelists:
Heather Smith,
Vice President, Retail Market Sales,
Geisinger Health Plan
Scott Norman,
Vice President,
Medicare, Priority Health
Charles Baker, MHA, MSW,
Vice President Compliance Solutions,
ATTAC Consulting Group
Segmenting Members and Tailoring Marketing Messaging to Specific Needs: Understanding the Unique Challenges and Motivations of Each Segment and Focusing on Those Most Likely to Convert
Plan Enrollment: The State Health Insurance Assistance Program Counselor Perspective
This session will feature a case study of the role of a local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Counselor in assisting individuals enroll into a plan. The speaker will share challenges of guiding individuals in making informed decisions about plans, helping them maximize their benefits and savings. Attendees will learn the questions frequently asked by prospective enrollees and the impact of plans’ marketing on choice during open enrollment.
Jim Milanowski,
CEO,
Genesee Health Plan
Cocktail Reception
NEW MARKET PENETRATION AND SEGMENT GROWTH (CONTINUED)
Continental Breakfast
Chairperson’s Recap
Advancing Age-In Medicare Marketing Strategies: Converting Commercial Members into Medicare Enrollees and Keeping Them Engaged as They Work Past Typical Retirement Age
Dave Krupa,
Vice President, Marketing,
Blue Cross Blue Shield South Carolina
Ezio Sabatino,
Chief Influence Officer,
Sabatino Marketing LLC
Lance Donkerbrook,
CEO,
Commonwealth Primary Care ACO
Developing Omnichannel Marketing Strategies that Align with Seniors’ Digital Shopping Habits: Maximizing Online Sources to Shop for and Compare Plans
DRIVING MEMBER ENGAGEMENT, EXPERIENCE, AND RETENTION
Panel Discussion:Taking a Multifaceted Approach to Engagement: Empowering Members, Identifying and Addressing SDoH, and Driving Retention and Loyalty
Moderator:
Naomi Irvin,
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
Panelists:
Jeff Nathe,
Director, Medicare Sales and Retention,
Mercy Care Advantage/Aetna
Tom Sass, VP,
Consumer Markets,
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York
Arun Mehta,
Vice President, Marketing & Analytics,
Insurance Science DM
Boosting Retention During the OEP and Year Round: Proactively Communicating with Members, Building Brand Loyalty, and Strengthening Messaging to Reduce Switching Behaviors
Martina Lee Strickland,
Chief Growth Officer,
Clever Care Health Plan
Morning Refreshment Break
Collecting Social Risk Data and Acting on That Data through Engagement: Leveraging New Channels for Member Engagement to Meet Members Where They Are and Drive Success in the Health Equity Index
Melissa Duke,
Executive Director,
Stars Strategy, Banner Medicare Advantage, Banner Health Plans
Guillermo Velez,
Health Equity Administrator,
Banner University Health Plans
Member Engagement and Experience— When Your Insured is Engaging with Your “Trusted Partners” and Competition
Bruce Bonello,
Director, Broker Relations,
MyCare Medical