Executives From Aetna Better Health of California & Anthem Blue Cross To Present On Contracting Models & Network Management At August 18 OPEN MINDS Circle Elite Executive Roundtable

Gettysburg, Pa. (August 14, 2022) Rafael Gonzalez-Amezcua, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Aetna Better Health of California and Beau Hennemann, Regional Vice-President, Local Engagement and Plan Performance for Anthem Blue Cross will present How California Health Plans Will Change Their Contracting Models & Network Management Under CalAIM at the August 18 OPEN MINDS Circle Elite Executive Roundtable. The speakers will share the progress made in the health plan contracting process and status of the first six months of new contract development and implementation of new services under CalAIM.

“CalAIM has caused a dramatic cultural shift for the entirety of the California health care industry,” noted Monica E. Oss, chief executive officer of OPEN MINDS. “It is vital that provider organization executives address these changes and make the adaptation to value-based contracting through the alignment of payer-provider goals. It truly is an environment of evolve or die.”

This is the third in a special CalAIM quarterly series from OPEN MINDS—the last in the 2022 series is planned for December 1 all others are available to watch on-demand in the OPEN MINDS Resource Library. The series features California case studies focused on strategy, health plan contracting, financial assessment, market services, and CalAIM preparedness regarding program readiness, implementation, and technology.

In this roundtable, Dr. Amezcua and Mr. Hennemann will discuss the process and experience of California managed care plans in their engagement of provider organizations in the creation of new services. These new services are the first phase and implementation of the CalAIM population health management strategy, to deliver integrated and whole person care services for Medi-Cal members with complex behavioral health and social service needs. Attendees will gain an understanding of managed care plan expectations for coordinated provider organization service delivery, cost effective programming, and aligned outcome goals. The speakers will share new service line development and provider organization innovations for successful deployment of new services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries; and keys to successful health plan partnership and coordination in the new CalAIM environment.

To register for the August 18 event, visit https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2063264777858135821

Dr. Rafael Gonzalez-Amezcua, Chief Medical Officer for Aetna Better Health of California, develops, implements, and promotes population health and health equity strategies, policies and programs that drive the delivery of high-value health care for Aetna’s California Medi-Cal business. Dr. Amezcua’s focus is on improving the care of vulnerable populations. His areas of expertise include elder care, complex care management, Health Equity, Federally Qualified Health Centers, PACE programs and Utilization Management. He has served in various leadership capacities from northern to  southern California; at On Lok Senior Health in San Francisco, where he was in the clinical faculty at UCSFs; as Associate Medical Officer at Sequoia Community Health Center, in Fresno CA; as Medical Director at the UCSF Fresno General Internal Medicine Clinics; as Regional Medical Director for Senior Services at AltaMed Health Care Services; as Interim Executive Director and CMO for Bienvenidos Community Health Center and as founding Medical Director for Branden Centers for Senior Care, a PACE program for the Los Angeles Jewish Home. Most recently he served as Medicare Medical Director of the LA Care Health Plan where he oversaw all aspects of the Medi-Cal/Medicare dually eligible program Cal MediConnect. Dr. Amezcua received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of California at Davis and his Medical Degree from the Rosalyn Franklin University of Health Sciences, The Chicago Medical School.

Beau Hennemann currently serves as the Regional Vice-President of Local Engagement and Plan Performance for Anthem Blue Cross. In this role, Mr. Hannemann provides oversight and leadership for the Quality Management, Marketing and Community Relations, and County Management & Local Engagement teams across California. He is also responsible for the operational performance, contract oversight, and financial performance of the L.A. County Medi-Cal line of business, which serves over 500k members. In just over 6 years at Anthem Blue Cross, Mr. Hannemann has also held statewide responsibility for directing and overseeing the operations, business strategy and alignment for special programs such as Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS), Health Homes, Whole Person Care, Palliative Care, CalAIM, and Social Determinants of Health, including program performance, provider and community collaboration/engagement, behavioral health integration, clinical care management, policy development, process improvement/program enhancements, managing interdependencies and risks, and developing growth opportunities. Mr. Hannemann has over nineteen years of experience in program development and implementation within Medicaid-based programs, in both public and private organizations.   Mr. Hannemann is a graduate of the University of Missouri, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Public Administration.

The August 18 Circle Elite Executive Roundtable is offered as part of a weekly series designed to help executive teams navigate the business, organizational, operational, and culture changes of a market in turbulence during (and after) the COVID-19 crisis. Each one-hour briefing outlines a field-tested approach for recovering from the crisis and developing a plan for organizational sustainability. Once an exclusive benefit to Elite members of the OPEN MINDS Circle, these impactful sessions are now available to all OPEN MINDS subscribers and available on demand.

About OPEN MINDS
OPEN MINDS is a national market intelligence, management consulting, and marketing services firm specializing exclusively in the markets of the health and human service field that serve consumers with chronic conditions and complex support needs. OPEN MINDS’ mission is to provide payers, service provider organizations, and technology and scientific firms that serve these consumers with the market and management knowledge needed to improve their organizational efficiency and effectiveness.