1 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:04,980 This is where health insurance leadership comes together. 2 00:00:05,279 --> 00:00:08,960 Becker's fourth annual spring payer issues roundtable brings 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:10,500 together over 400 4 00:00:10,639 --> 00:00:13,044 payer and health plan executives and more than 5 00:00:13,044 --> 00:00:16,504 100 speakers to Chicago April. 6 00:00:16,885 --> 00:00:19,765 This year's event includes keynote conversations with the 7 00:00:19,765 --> 00:00:23,044 industry's top leaders and former president George w 8 00:00:23,044 --> 00:00:25,605 Bush. For the full agenda and event details, 9 00:00:25,605 --> 00:00:27,809 visit beckershospitalreview.com 10 00:00:27,890 --> 00:00:29,250 and click on the events tab in the 11 00:00:29,250 --> 00:00:31,489 upper right. We're looking forward to hosting you 12 00:00:31,489 --> 00:00:32,549 here in Chicago. 13 00:00:34,129 --> 00:00:36,530 Hi, everyone. This is Elizabeth Cassello with the 14 00:00:36,530 --> 00:00:38,309 Becker's Payer Issues podcast. 15 00:00:38,689 --> 00:00:40,689 I'm excited to be joined today by doctor 16 00:00:40,689 --> 00:00:43,815 Kara Odom Walker, who recently became chief medical 17 00:00:43,815 --> 00:00:46,454 officer for Aetna Medicaid. And we're gonna chat 18 00:00:46,454 --> 00:00:49,335 about the insurer's collaboration with the National Association 19 00:00:49,335 --> 00:00:51,895 of Community Health Centers. So doctor Walker, thank 20 00:00:51,895 --> 00:00:53,895 you so much for joining us today. Thanks 21 00:00:53,895 --> 00:00:54,875 for having me. 22 00:00:55,350 --> 00:00:56,950 So before we jump in, I would love 23 00:00:56,950 --> 00:00:58,549 to hear a bit more about you and 24 00:00:58,549 --> 00:01:00,549 your health care career and your new role 25 00:01:00,549 --> 00:01:01,289 at Aetna. 26 00:01:01,909 --> 00:01:03,909 Thank you so much. I'm so excited to 27 00:01:03,909 --> 00:01:06,390 join Aetna as CMO of Medicaid. It's an 28 00:01:06,390 --> 00:01:08,569 opportunity to really blend the intersection 29 00:01:09,109 --> 00:01:11,745 of clinical care and prior experiences I've had 30 00:01:11,745 --> 00:01:14,305 on the provider side and also as a 31 00:01:14,305 --> 00:01:17,344 state, secretary of health and social services and 32 00:01:17,344 --> 00:01:20,165 defining solutions to transform health care at scale. 33 00:01:20,224 --> 00:01:22,944 And Aetna is part of that journey. I'm 34 00:01:22,944 --> 00:01:25,200 really excited about this partnership as well. 35 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,000 Yeah. So let's dive into the bulk of 36 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:28,500 it. 37 00:01:28,879 --> 00:01:31,280 What prompted this collaboration, which is focused on 38 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,079 hypertension between Aetna and the National Association of 39 00:01:34,079 --> 00:01:36,179 Community Health Centers, and why now? 40 00:01:36,879 --> 00:01:38,799 So I'm so thrilled to share more about 41 00:01:38,799 --> 00:01:40,234 the news of this collaboration. 42 00:01:40,534 --> 00:01:42,534 Now more than ever, we need ways to 43 00:01:42,534 --> 00:01:44,234 reach patients and communities 44 00:01:44,855 --> 00:01:47,355 with the greatest opportunity to improve 45 00:01:47,814 --> 00:01:49,755 disparities and hypertension outcomes. 46 00:01:50,215 --> 00:01:52,615 I'm a family doctor by background. And as 47 00:01:52,615 --> 00:01:55,049 a Aetna leader, I know the facts. 48 00:01:55,510 --> 00:01:57,530 We know that uncontrolled hypertension 49 00:01:57,909 --> 00:02:00,549 is a significant preventable cause of early death 50 00:02:00,549 --> 00:02:02,090 and long term health issues 51 00:02:02,549 --> 00:02:05,290 that can occur among our Medicaid members. 52 00:02:05,829 --> 00:02:07,725 And I used to practice in a community 53 00:02:07,725 --> 00:02:10,205 health center across the country from the East 54 00:02:10,205 --> 00:02:12,525 Coast to the West Coast. It's a place 55 00:02:12,525 --> 00:02:14,365 where we can make a huge impact as 56 00:02:14,365 --> 00:02:14,865 doctors, 57 00:02:15,324 --> 00:02:16,465 as a payer partner. 58 00:02:16,925 --> 00:02:18,705 So working alongside 59 00:02:19,004 --> 00:02:21,564 NAC, the National Association of Community Health Centers, 60 00:02:21,564 --> 00:02:23,150 is a great opportunity for us. Us. We 61 00:02:23,150 --> 00:02:25,629 know that community health centers are actually the 62 00:02:25,629 --> 00:02:28,449 largest primary care system in The United States. 63 00:02:28,909 --> 00:02:31,090 They serve one in seven Americans, 64 00:02:31,629 --> 00:02:34,590 including some of the nation's most complicated patients 65 00:02:34,590 --> 00:02:35,889 in the most underserved 66 00:02:36,189 --> 00:02:38,050 and needed needy communities. 67 00:02:38,884 --> 00:02:41,144 So we get to address together 68 00:02:41,525 --> 00:02:43,844 not only the medical needs, but also the 69 00:02:43,844 --> 00:02:46,164 other social needs that community health centers are 70 00:02:46,164 --> 00:02:47,625 so great at. I remember, 71 00:02:48,245 --> 00:02:50,245 taking care of patients who really needed us 72 00:02:50,245 --> 00:02:53,384 to navigate to diapers and medicine and transportation 73 00:02:54,159 --> 00:02:55,840 and the full range of things that we 74 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:57,620 know actually make people healthier. 75 00:02:58,159 --> 00:03:01,360 So this is our opportunity. We know over 76 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:02,659 six million patients 77 00:03:03,199 --> 00:03:05,939 had hypertension in 2024 78 00:03:06,534 --> 00:03:09,034 And achieving better blood pressure control 79 00:03:09,495 --> 00:03:10,395 in about, 80 00:03:10,854 --> 00:03:13,574 two thirds of those patients is a huge 81 00:03:13,574 --> 00:03:15,514 opportunity for us. That is actually 82 00:03:15,974 --> 00:03:19,435 real scale results at scale in settings where 83 00:03:19,750 --> 00:03:22,550 we need more than ever to address these 84 00:03:22,550 --> 00:03:24,009 long term health consequences. 85 00:03:25,030 --> 00:03:25,530 So 86 00:03:25,989 --> 00:03:27,989 because of the success we know that community 87 00:03:27,989 --> 00:03:31,209 health centers have to improve blood pressure control, 88 00:03:31,590 --> 00:03:33,530 we at Aetna saw this opportunity 89 00:03:33,830 --> 00:03:34,569 to collaborate, 90 00:03:35,194 --> 00:03:38,235 to bring our data, and to improve blood 91 00:03:38,235 --> 00:03:41,615 pressure control and deliver these value based outcomes 92 00:03:41,835 --> 00:03:45,055 at scale across communities, urban, rural, 93 00:03:45,995 --> 00:03:48,930 north, south, East, West. And we know that 94 00:03:49,169 --> 00:03:51,349 these partnerships really matter. So 95 00:03:51,650 --> 00:03:54,549 excited that together, we're gonna focus on regions 96 00:03:54,849 --> 00:03:57,169 where the data has showed that we need 97 00:03:57,169 --> 00:03:58,069 to address 98 00:03:58,370 --> 00:04:01,090 the gaps in improving health outcomes. And we're 99 00:04:01,090 --> 00:04:02,504 starting with four states, 100 00:04:03,064 --> 00:04:03,564 Illinois, 101 00:04:03,865 --> 00:04:04,365 Kentucky, 102 00:04:04,665 --> 00:04:05,965 Michigan, and Virginia, 103 00:04:06,504 --> 00:04:09,805 and really excited about, all the opportunities ahead. 104 00:04:10,504 --> 00:04:13,325 So can you elaborate on why those states 105 00:04:13,465 --> 00:04:15,465 and where you plan to expand if you 106 00:04:15,465 --> 00:04:16,764 are planning on expanding? 107 00:04:17,730 --> 00:04:20,370 Absolutely. So we know that these states have 108 00:04:20,370 --> 00:04:22,610 the greatest need. And as part of our 109 00:04:22,610 --> 00:04:26,069 engagement, we've already thought about which populations 110 00:04:27,009 --> 00:04:28,550 have the greatest gaps 111 00:04:29,170 --> 00:04:32,245 to improve those outcomes and also where we 112 00:04:32,245 --> 00:04:35,064 can bring our skills, our data, our relationships 113 00:04:35,685 --> 00:04:36,345 to bring 114 00:04:37,125 --> 00:04:37,625 impact. 115 00:04:38,245 --> 00:04:41,044 This initiative focuses in these four states because 116 00:04:41,044 --> 00:04:43,204 we've seen the gaps are the widest, but 117 00:04:43,204 --> 00:04:44,824 also we have strong partners 118 00:04:45,285 --> 00:04:47,944 that we can work together to bring data, 119 00:04:48,300 --> 00:04:49,519 tools, expertise. 120 00:04:49,899 --> 00:04:50,399 And 121 00:04:50,860 --> 00:04:52,779 once we find what works, we can create 122 00:04:52,779 --> 00:04:54,079 scale around, 123 00:04:54,939 --> 00:04:56,319 spreading what is 124 00:04:57,019 --> 00:04:57,519 possible 125 00:04:58,060 --> 00:05:00,699 and create even larger impact beyond those four 126 00:05:00,699 --> 00:05:01,759 states in the future. 127 00:05:02,754 --> 00:05:03,894 Makes a lot of sense. 128 00:05:04,194 --> 00:05:05,714 So can you elaborate a bit more on 129 00:05:05,714 --> 00:05:08,115 what you're seeing in terms of hypertension in 130 00:05:08,115 --> 00:05:09,574 Aetna's Medicaid community, 131 00:05:10,435 --> 00:05:12,595 and what health and cost outcomes you're hoping 132 00:05:12,595 --> 00:05:14,535 to see through this partnership? 133 00:05:15,250 --> 00:05:17,329 Absolutely. So we're starting with the data. You 134 00:05:17,329 --> 00:05:19,089 know? The data is showing us where to 135 00:05:19,089 --> 00:05:20,870 get started, and we're gonna leverage 136 00:05:21,410 --> 00:05:24,209 our Aetna data and the Medicaid expertise we 137 00:05:24,209 --> 00:05:24,709 have. 138 00:05:25,569 --> 00:05:27,915 We this is just basic. Right? We start 139 00:05:27,915 --> 00:05:29,514 with what works and then do more of 140 00:05:29,514 --> 00:05:31,274 it so we can go beyond care that's 141 00:05:31,274 --> 00:05:34,074 just about prescribing a medicine, but also lean 142 00:05:34,074 --> 00:05:36,495 into all of the other community resources. 143 00:05:37,514 --> 00:05:39,514 As I mentioned, we know there are so 144 00:05:39,514 --> 00:05:40,014 many 145 00:05:40,470 --> 00:05:42,569 people who need help 146 00:05:42,870 --> 00:05:44,089 both with diagnosing 147 00:05:44,710 --> 00:05:45,610 high blood pressure, 148 00:05:46,150 --> 00:05:48,629 but also finding out how to manage it 149 00:05:48,629 --> 00:05:50,389 better. And this is a daily journey. It 150 00:05:50,389 --> 00:05:54,170 can include nutrition. It can include physical activity, 151 00:05:54,230 --> 00:05:56,855 but also the medications and things that happen 152 00:05:56,855 --> 00:05:59,894 in a doctor's office. We're excited that working 153 00:05:59,894 --> 00:06:01,754 together with community health centers, 154 00:06:02,214 --> 00:06:04,314 our collaboration can bring care 155 00:06:04,694 --> 00:06:07,254 to where people live, to things that are 156 00:06:07,254 --> 00:06:08,235 community informed, 157 00:06:09,175 --> 00:06:12,289 and really, bring a whole suite of services 158 00:06:12,289 --> 00:06:12,789 together. 159 00:06:13,490 --> 00:06:15,410 Since community health centers do make up the 160 00:06:15,410 --> 00:06:18,529 largest primary care health system in The United 161 00:06:18,529 --> 00:06:20,209 States where 52,000,000 162 00:06:20,209 --> 00:06:23,169 people are served, this is an opportunity for 163 00:06:23,169 --> 00:06:24,389 scale and impact. 164 00:06:25,165 --> 00:06:28,605 Community health centers bring together primary care, dental 165 00:06:28,605 --> 00:06:31,004 care, behavioral health care, and we know those 166 00:06:31,004 --> 00:06:34,205 factors actually influence blood pressure control. So how 167 00:06:34,205 --> 00:06:35,345 do we work together? 168 00:06:36,125 --> 00:06:38,930 I'm a family physician, and I have personally 169 00:06:39,149 --> 00:06:41,790 taken care of many patients in community health 170 00:06:41,790 --> 00:06:42,290 centers. 171 00:06:42,750 --> 00:06:45,069 I've worked in the West Coast and East 172 00:06:45,069 --> 00:06:47,949 Coast from Delaware to California and seen how 173 00:06:47,949 --> 00:06:52,129 uninsured patients in local primary care settings often 174 00:06:52,555 --> 00:06:54,954 don't know they have high blood pressure. And 175 00:06:54,954 --> 00:06:57,134 I remember one of these patients distinctly. 176 00:06:57,675 --> 00:06:59,774 They came in to see me, doctor Walker. 177 00:07:00,555 --> 00:07:02,474 I just need these papers signed. I'm about 178 00:07:02,474 --> 00:07:04,634 to start a new job. It's a great 179 00:07:04,634 --> 00:07:05,134 opportunity 180 00:07:05,435 --> 00:07:07,920 for me to have higher pay and better 181 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:11,060 benefits. Can you just check check these boxes? 182 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,720 And he really had no complaints and no 183 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:15,220 drama, 184 00:07:15,839 --> 00:07:17,620 but he, unfortunately, 185 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:19,360 had come in in kind of a hurry. 186 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:21,139 And so we checked his blood pressure 187 00:07:21,604 --> 00:07:23,925 and thought it must have been wrong. Sometimes 188 00:07:23,925 --> 00:07:25,604 that means, as a doc, like, we have 189 00:07:25,604 --> 00:07:28,324 to give them a moment, settle in, maybe 190 00:07:28,324 --> 00:07:31,204 check with a proper size blood pressure cuff. 191 00:07:31,204 --> 00:07:32,425 That happens sometimes. 192 00:07:33,285 --> 00:07:35,365 So in this situation, I thought, we'll just 193 00:07:35,365 --> 00:07:36,185 check it again. 194 00:07:36,569 --> 00:07:38,349 Unfortunately, when we checked it again, 195 00:07:38,649 --> 00:07:41,129 his blood pressure was still sky high, so 196 00:07:41,129 --> 00:07:42,970 high that I was worried about risk of 197 00:07:42,970 --> 00:07:43,470 stroke, 198 00:07:43,849 --> 00:07:45,789 heart damage, and other consequences. 199 00:07:46,490 --> 00:07:47,449 So we, 200 00:07:47,930 --> 00:07:50,490 worked together in that moment, and he hadn't 201 00:07:50,490 --> 00:07:52,544 really seen anyone in health care for years, 202 00:07:52,544 --> 00:07:55,024 felt great, worked full time, and wanted to 203 00:07:55,024 --> 00:07:56,404 think about these certifications. 204 00:07:57,504 --> 00:07:59,745 So this is a situation that's very real. 205 00:07:59,745 --> 00:08:00,404 It happens 206 00:08:01,345 --> 00:08:02,164 all over 207 00:08:02,544 --> 00:08:04,725 community health centers every day. 208 00:08:05,029 --> 00:08:07,430 It's very common. Half of adults in The 209 00:08:07,430 --> 00:08:09,350 US have high blood pressure, and one in 210 00:08:09,350 --> 00:08:11,750 four don't know they have it. So our 211 00:08:11,750 --> 00:08:13,850 work together isn't about technology 212 00:08:14,150 --> 00:08:16,470 or how Aetna pays the bills, but it 213 00:08:16,470 --> 00:08:18,425 is about how do we talk to people, 214 00:08:18,884 --> 00:08:21,125 really think about what they need, and have 215 00:08:21,125 --> 00:08:24,644 these ongoing relationships to improve their health, improve 216 00:08:24,644 --> 00:08:27,285 blood pressure control, but also reduce heart attack, 217 00:08:27,285 --> 00:08:28,665 strokes, and other consequences. 218 00:08:30,269 --> 00:08:32,990 What early insights are you seeing? I know, 219 00:08:32,990 --> 00:08:35,730 again, it is early on with this program. 220 00:08:36,269 --> 00:08:39,330 And how are you reaching the Medicaid population 221 00:08:39,470 --> 00:08:41,409 given challenges that may be specific, 222 00:08:41,870 --> 00:08:42,850 to those populations? 223 00:08:43,504 --> 00:08:46,225 Thanks, Liz. We're just getting started. So I 224 00:08:46,225 --> 00:08:48,065 don't have a lot of details to show 225 00:08:48,065 --> 00:08:49,845 about the early opportunities, 226 00:08:50,544 --> 00:08:53,284 but I would say we have a 227 00:08:53,745 --> 00:08:56,565 starting place that comes to a common understanding 228 00:08:56,705 --> 00:08:59,139 around how important it is to focus on 229 00:08:59,139 --> 00:08:59,799 this issue 230 00:09:00,339 --> 00:09:02,580 and that there are barriers to care, barriers 231 00:09:02,580 --> 00:09:04,519 around access, getting appointments, 232 00:09:05,220 --> 00:09:06,440 social issues, 233 00:09:07,220 --> 00:09:08,600 thinking about food insecurity. 234 00:09:09,139 --> 00:09:11,745 You know, I, again, remember patients who said, 235 00:09:11,745 --> 00:09:13,664 well, I've been really taking that blood pressure 236 00:09:13,664 --> 00:09:14,884 pill, doctor Walker, 237 00:09:15,264 --> 00:09:17,105 but, you know, I can't figure out how 238 00:09:17,105 --> 00:09:18,865 to get my blood pressure to get lower. 239 00:09:18,865 --> 00:09:20,865 And we did a a review of what 240 00:09:20,865 --> 00:09:22,625 they were eating every day, trying to make 241 00:09:22,625 --> 00:09:24,164 sure they had healthy options, 242 00:09:24,544 --> 00:09:27,779 realizing the cans of vegetables had a lot 243 00:09:27,779 --> 00:09:28,440 of sodium. 244 00:09:28,740 --> 00:09:31,080 And that was what we needed to unlock 245 00:09:31,139 --> 00:09:33,220 blood pressure control at a better level. And 246 00:09:33,220 --> 00:09:35,720 so these are the barriers we're going to 247 00:09:35,860 --> 00:09:39,059 find. Community health centers bring that community lens, 248 00:09:39,059 --> 00:09:42,044 that community voice, and they're deeply embedded to 249 00:09:42,044 --> 00:09:44,684 figure out how to make sure we're talking 250 00:09:44,684 --> 00:09:46,845 in the ways that resonate with patients, that 251 00:09:46,845 --> 00:09:48,845 they feel like they actually can put their 252 00:09:48,845 --> 00:09:49,345 health 253 00:09:49,804 --> 00:09:52,705 into their own hands. This collaboration is exciting, 254 00:09:52,845 --> 00:09:54,764 and we're looking forward to sharing results in 255 00:09:54,764 --> 00:09:55,345 the future. 256 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,699 That's a really interesting insight about the food. 257 00:09:58,839 --> 00:10:00,699 And pivoting away from hypertension, 258 00:10:01,159 --> 00:10:02,139 what other conditions 259 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,419 is the Aetna Medicaid team thinking about collaborating 260 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:06,779 on going forward? 261 00:10:07,799 --> 00:10:10,440 So we're focused on high blood pressure. High 262 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:11,659 blood pressure seems 263 00:10:12,095 --> 00:10:14,595 maybe common, easy, and happening 264 00:10:15,215 --> 00:10:18,095 in so many, patients' lives that it should 265 00:10:18,095 --> 00:10:19,634 be easy. I will say 266 00:10:20,014 --> 00:10:21,715 right now, it is our focus. 267 00:10:22,415 --> 00:10:24,894 Aetna Medicaid is committed to the health and 268 00:10:24,894 --> 00:10:27,210 well-being of our members, And so we're thinking 269 00:10:27,210 --> 00:10:30,250 about expanding in other places. But first, thinking 270 00:10:30,250 --> 00:10:32,830 about heart health as a major opportunity 271 00:10:33,529 --> 00:10:36,090 is where high blood pressure fits in. So 272 00:10:36,090 --> 00:10:38,809 think about it. Three in four adults enrolled 273 00:10:38,809 --> 00:10:41,665 in Medicaid have one or more chronic conditions, 274 00:10:41,665 --> 00:10:44,225 not just high blood pressure, but others. So 275 00:10:44,225 --> 00:10:47,024 we're gonna work together around how the whole 276 00:10:47,024 --> 00:10:49,745 care team can come together to design a 277 00:10:49,745 --> 00:10:52,304 plan that's right for them and allow them 278 00:10:52,304 --> 00:10:54,545 to think about the chronic conditions that may 279 00:10:54,545 --> 00:10:56,629 exist. That could be blood pressure, but then 280 00:10:56,629 --> 00:10:58,089 it could build on diabetes, 281 00:10:59,509 --> 00:11:00,009 obesity, 282 00:11:00,389 --> 00:11:02,490 other chronic conditions that are present. 283 00:11:02,950 --> 00:11:05,509 So we're starting with hypertension because it does 284 00:11:05,509 --> 00:11:08,144 lead to other things. And, again, preventing heart 285 00:11:08,144 --> 00:11:11,684 attacks, preventing stroke, preventing other long term outcomes. 286 00:11:11,985 --> 00:11:13,524 It actually improves your 287 00:11:13,825 --> 00:11:16,144 your joint pain as well, and so it 288 00:11:16,144 --> 00:11:18,865 is something that we can focus on. We 289 00:11:18,865 --> 00:11:21,870 know that, in in looking at the total 290 00:11:21,929 --> 00:11:24,250 cost, it also stands out as something that 291 00:11:24,250 --> 00:11:27,329 we can make an impact on. In April 292 00:11:27,329 --> 00:11:30,490 2025, we saw that hypertension related health care 293 00:11:30,490 --> 00:11:31,389 costs totaled 294 00:11:31,769 --> 00:11:33,289 over a $100,000,000. 295 00:11:33,289 --> 00:11:35,070 This is a place where we can start. 296 00:11:35,524 --> 00:11:38,424 I would say once we get that underway 297 00:11:38,485 --> 00:11:40,884 and start to see outcomes that matter in 298 00:11:40,884 --> 00:11:41,705 different communities, 299 00:11:42,245 --> 00:11:44,245 we'd love to start dreaming big. Maybe we 300 00:11:44,245 --> 00:11:47,144 work on maternal health together because we know 301 00:11:47,205 --> 00:11:50,509 that maternal health today is something that we 302 00:11:50,509 --> 00:11:52,350 we can do so much more to make 303 00:11:52,350 --> 00:11:52,850 sure, 304 00:11:53,790 --> 00:11:55,169 future moms have 305 00:11:55,470 --> 00:11:57,730 the right health care access from pregnancy 306 00:11:58,269 --> 00:12:00,509 to birth, and we'll find things that are 307 00:12:00,509 --> 00:12:03,675 working for hypertension, but then can apply to 308 00:12:03,675 --> 00:12:07,035 better prenatal care and taking care of moms 309 00:12:07,035 --> 00:12:08,495 and babies in the future. 310 00:12:09,035 --> 00:12:11,355 This will let us think about how to 311 00:12:11,355 --> 00:12:13,375 partner, how to bring the best evidence, 312 00:12:13,754 --> 00:12:15,995 but also bring our tools around data and 313 00:12:15,995 --> 00:12:18,075 overcoming other barriers. And some of that is 314 00:12:18,075 --> 00:12:18,539 around 315 00:12:18,940 --> 00:12:21,339 access to primary care. But then we can 316 00:12:21,339 --> 00:12:23,039 think about how does nutrition, 317 00:12:24,059 --> 00:12:24,559 transportation, 318 00:12:24,940 --> 00:12:27,579 housing, and stability also play a role in 319 00:12:27,579 --> 00:12:28,320 those rates. 320 00:12:29,339 --> 00:12:31,759 And a little shameless plug to our listeners. 321 00:12:32,024 --> 00:12:34,184 I did just do a podcast on maternal 322 00:12:34,184 --> 00:12:36,985 health initiatives with Medicaid programs. So if you 323 00:12:36,985 --> 00:12:39,225 are more curious about that, we have some 324 00:12:39,225 --> 00:12:40,684 recordings available there. 325 00:12:41,065 --> 00:12:43,065 But, doctor Walker, as we wrap up, I 326 00:12:43,065 --> 00:12:44,669 would love to hear any final final takeaways 327 00:12:44,669 --> 00:12:47,149 you have for other Medicaid leaders and also 328 00:12:47,149 --> 00:12:49,870 broader insurance leaders, and also any thoughts as 329 00:12:49,870 --> 00:12:51,970 you're settling into your role at Aetna. 330 00:12:52,429 --> 00:12:54,350 Well, I'm so excited to be part of 331 00:12:54,350 --> 00:12:55,490 a team that has 332 00:12:56,029 --> 00:12:57,809 commitments to work with partners 333 00:12:58,164 --> 00:13:00,884 in communities of need. And we know that 334 00:13:00,884 --> 00:13:03,125 controlling blood pressure is one of the places 335 00:13:03,125 --> 00:13:05,845 where we can create the highest level of 336 00:13:05,845 --> 00:13:08,264 return on health and outcomes, 337 00:13:09,044 --> 00:13:11,144 particularly for patients on Medicaid. 338 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:14,000 Right now, we are just thrilled to lean 339 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,080 in with this partnership with NAC to improve 340 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:17,379 health and health impact. 341 00:13:17,759 --> 00:13:21,040 Community health centers and primary care providers are 342 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:23,355 the backbone of how we provide care across 343 00:13:23,355 --> 00:13:24,014 the country. 344 00:13:24,394 --> 00:13:27,434 And they've already proven outcomes in hypertension control. 345 00:13:27,434 --> 00:13:29,195 So this is a chance for us at 346 00:13:29,195 --> 00:13:30,654 Aetna to make an impact. 347 00:13:31,115 --> 00:13:32,095 For me personally, 348 00:13:32,714 --> 00:13:34,875 this is a chance for us to think 349 00:13:34,875 --> 00:13:38,779 about scaling and broadening that through partnership, 350 00:13:39,399 --> 00:13:43,160 addressing the social drivers of health, and improving 351 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:46,040 not only quality, but also equity and total 352 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:46,940 cost of care. 353 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,654 I'm excited about the collaboration because we know 354 00:13:50,654 --> 00:13:52,514 we are open to future collaborations 355 00:13:53,215 --> 00:13:55,875 no matter what sector to make everyone healthier. 356 00:13:56,815 --> 00:13:58,654 Doctor Walker, thank you so much for taking 357 00:13:58,654 --> 00:14:00,894 the time and joining us today. Thank you, 358 00:14:00,894 --> 00:14:02,975 Liz. Great to see you. Yeah. Great to 359 00:14:02,975 --> 00:14:04,950 see you as well. And to our listeners, 360 00:14:04,950 --> 00:14:06,870 if you'd like to listen to more Becker's 361 00:14:06,870 --> 00:14:10,389 Healthcare podcasts, you can visit beckershospitalreview.com. 362 00:14:10,389 --> 00:14:11,129 Thank you.