Panel 4 – Bright Spots: Payment Innovation That is Working Beyond Washington

Maureen-Hensley Quinn, Senior Program Director, at the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) leads the Coverage, Cost, and Value team that focuses on states’ efforts to finance, provide and improve coverage and care through public and publicly subsidized health programs. Maureen participates in and manages multiple projects that focus on health coverage for children, streamlining eligibility, enrollment and renewal policies and procedures affecting multiple health coverage programs, as well as supporting states’ efforts to implement federal and state health care reforms. In addition to research and analysis of federal and state laws and regulations, Maureen has designed and implemented technical assistance for states that includes state-to-state peer learning activities. Maureen directs NASHP’s children’s coverage work that supports the nation’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) directors to continually improve coverage and care for low- to moderate-income children and pregnant women. Prior to joining the staff of NASHP in 2007, Maureen was the Medical Specialist at the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA). At CTAA, Maureen focused on the public’s access to health care through analysis of public health coverage (Medicaid in particular) and state and federal transportation policies. Prior to working at CTAA, Maureen was a Mediator/Legal Analyst within the Insurance Division of the Massachusetts State Attorney General’s Office. In this role she provided education to consumers and advocated on their behalf for improved treatment and coverage, particularly in health care (both public and private). Maureen received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Merrimack College in Massachusetts and earned a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the John W. McCormack School of Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts in Boston.

Blaire is a seasoned health policy strategist with more than a decade of experience at the intersection of federal policy and local government implementation. She brings deep expertise in Medicaid, behavioral health, long-term care, and public health, with a strong ability to connect healthcare issues to the broader policy and systems landscape. At NAC, Blaire leads the policy and advocacy team to recognize, integrate, and support family caregivers through a robust federal policy and advocacy agenda that advances caregiver-friendly legislation, strengthens cross-sector partnerships, and elevates caregiving as a national priority.

Meena Seshamani, MD, PhD serves as the Secretary of Health for Maryland in the Moore-Miller Administration, where she stewards a $20 billion health system that encompasses public health, Medicaid, disability, behavioral health, and 11 state-run hospitals. She leads the state's mission to improve the health and well-being of all Marylanders through a focus on accessibility, affordability, and equity. Under her leadership, Maryland has emerged as a national laboratory for healthcare innovation. Dr. Seshamani successfully negotiated a first-of-its-kind, multi-billion dollar healthcare payment model with federal partners and secured $168 million in inaugural funding to transform rural health delivery. Her tenure is also marked by a proactive approach to public health, exemplified by ensuring broad vaccine access in the state through the creation of a landmark program providing free vaccines to uninsured and underinsured residents—codifying health security as a statewide priority. Prior to her cabinet appointment, Dr. Seshamani served as Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicare at CMS. There, she executed the most significant pharmaceutical reform in decades: the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation program, achieving $6 billion in first-year savings. Her work at CMS fundamentally shifted the Medicare model to value-based care by introducing payments for community health services, caregiver training, and navigating patient care, while simultaneously tightening accountability and oversight. A board-certified head and neck surgeon and an Oxford-trained health economist, Dr. Seshamani’s perspective is grounded in how health care policy and operations impact the real lives of patients. She previously served as Vice President of Clinical Care Transformation at MedStar Health, maintaining a clinical practice while leading large-scale system changes. A widely published author including in the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA, her insights are frequently sought by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and major news networks. Dr. Seshamani holds her MD from Johns Hopkins University and her PhD from the University of Oxford, where she was a Marshall Scholar.

Darren Fogarty leads PBGH's health policy work, directly supporting PBGH's mission, strategies, and its purchaser members through education, advocacy, and communications with federal and state policymakers. Prior to joining PBGH, Darren worked for ethical and transparent health care benefits consulting firms in business development, financial analytics, and strategic advising roles. He also worked for eight years at a nonprofit in Washington, D.C. called the Institute for the Fiduciary Standard, where he now serves on the Board of Directors. Darren founded and led the Committee for Fee-Only Benefits Advisors, a not-for-profit group of health care industry leaders who advocate for fiduciary principles and transparent compensation between benefits consultants and their employer clients. Darren holds a Master of Environmental Management (MEM) with a concentration in economics and policy from Duke University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.