September 30 - The Latest in Healthcare

Don Kowitz and Sherri Rice will be discussing the latest developments in the health care industry, including an update on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 

Don is a retired senior executive with more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare and health insurance industries.Don retired as the Chief Executive Officer of Saint Mary’s Health Plans (SMHP) in May of 2014.  SMHP (now Prominence Health Plan) currently serves over 65,000 Nevadans with a full range of health insurance, administrative and wellness services.  Don is an active member of the Reno community and currently serves on the Board of KNPB, Reno's PBS affiliate.  He is also a member of the Boards of Community Health Alliance Foundation and Health Insight Nevada, and is a member of the City of Reno Financial Advisory Board.

Sherri Rice, CEO of Access, will tell us how Access has developed a Personal Health Assistant program that is paired with an insurance plan that an individual acquires through the exchange. Access (formerly Access to Healthcare Network) is an organization that assists low income and disadvantaged people obtain health care services.  Prior to exchanges, Access offered a medical discount plan that individuals subscribed to for a monthly fee.  For that fee, they would get substantial discounts from local physicians and hospitals.  They would also get the services of Access as a Personal Health Assistant helping them to negotiate the health care system.  With the ACA, many of Access' medical discount plan members became eligible for a subsidy to purchase insurance on the exchange.  In order for Access to continue the connection with its members, it partnered with Saint Mary's Health Plans and worked to enroll its members with SMHP through the exchange.  Access continued the Personal Health Assistant (formerly Care Coordination) services for those people.  Their service is especially useful for those who have complex care needs and are confused about how to navigate the health care system.