The National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) 2020 Virtual Conference took place November 9 – 11, sparking new conversations and inspiring more than 800 attending Medicaid leaders. As we continue to administer the program in visionary ways, the gathering served as a platform to discuss the urgent topics impacting many of the 73 million Americans served by Medicaid — from racial and social injustices to the public health emergency. It also served as an opportunity to reflect on all that we have achieved during a year of trials and COVID-19 challenges and explore accountability for care quality and costs.
“I think 2021 is going to look very different than 2020,” said Scott Gottlieb, Former FDA Commissioner. “We are going to have a different technological toolbox available to us to mitigate the spread of the disease and mitigate the risk of people developing severe symptoms of COVID if they do become infected.”
The conference hosted both state and federal speakers, including Seema Verma, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Andy Slavitt, Former Acting Administrator for CMS. During our three days of discussions, these conversations gave a deeper look into the economy, innovations in care delivery, behavioral health care, long term services and supports and health equity.
"[At last year’s NAMD conference], I stood before you and outlined three core principles that we would repeatedly apply to deliver on the promise of Medicaid transformation: empowering states with flexibility to deliver value, increasing accountability for results and outcomes, and strengthening program integrity to protect taxpayers.” — Seema Verma
Supporting Martha’s Table
Every year, UnitedHealthcare Community & State features an organization from the Washington, DC area at our conference booth to raise awareness and support the work they do. In the past, we have helped collect winter coats for the local Boys and Girls Club and filled kits with supplies for new mom and their babies.
Even though we could not support a service project this year, we still invited leaders to visit our virtual booth to support Martha’s Table, which is dedicated to increasing access to education, health and family resources. Through food donations, we were able to provide food bags that will support individuals living in nearby, underserved communities.
We couldn’t be prouder of what we have accomplished alongside this year’s conference attendees, especially during these difficult times. The work we have done — and will continue to do — to address the social needs of the Medicaid population is critical to ensuring that all people have access to the care they need to live healthier lives.
Read more from Nicole Truhe
