♪ Medicaid Is Red Hot ... ♪
JULY, 13, 2023
July is upon us. We have record temperatures, thousand-year floods, and marauding orcas and sea otters. Summertime and the livin’s easy…
♪ Medicaid is red hot,...♪ (with a call back to rockabilly legend Billy Lee Riley)
In May, Hickman Strategies led a discussion with ScaleHealth-affilated companies about why Medicaid is an opportunity now. We looked at why the Medicaid market is attractive to investors. Innovation opportunities were identified especially given recent 1115 Medicaid waiver trends.
Interested in learning about our approach to innovation for underserved populations? Email me here to discuss.
Why is Medicaid Attractive Now?
Rock Health’s recent report noted that investor interest is rising in Medicaid. It stated, ”Medicaid is one of the most promising arenas for digital health activity, despite the overall cooling of sector funding.”
Also, California passed a $311 billion budget with a significant win for the Medi-Cal (Medicaid) program. This funding is now coming alongside California’s $12B CalAIM 1115 waiver which is changing the Medicaid narrative.
Why am I optimistic about Medicaid innovation?
CA-based Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) and ScaleHealth launched an innovative design challenge. It’s aim is to spur innovation to provide optimal care and foster vibrant health in the Inland Empire. IEHP is one of the top 10 largest not-for-profit Medicaid and Medicare-Medicaid plans in the country.
The Inland Empire (San Bernadino and Riverside counties) exhibits significant health disparities when compared to California averages and national benchmarks.
This commitment to innovation for the underserved by deploying digital health tools to address health equity is a sign of good things to come.
