Rachael Rowland Speaks about Health Policy Issues and Health Insurers
Rachael Rowland, Vice President of State Affairs for Anthem, Inc., recently spoke to William & Mary students about health policy issues that are important to health insurers. With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the expansion of Medicaid in some states, the perspective of private health insurers is an important one in understanding the health insurance market. Anthem is one of the largest health benefits companies in the United States, with its affiliated companies serving over 72 million people in 25 states, paying $213 billion in benefits and processing 673 million claims.
In her talk, Ms. Rowland discussed the high cost of prescription drugs and issues surrounding their coverage, value-based purchasing, risk adjustment, specialty plans for particular diagnoses, and lessons learned from public insurance programs in managing population health. She also addressed coverage issues related to mental health and substance use, two particularly important policy areas for insurers.
Prior to working at Anthem, Ms. Rowland served as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs & Strategic Business Development at Magellan Health Services; National Vice President of Government Affairs at UnitedHealth Group; Vice President of Government and Public Relations at MAXIMUS; and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She received her B.A. in English and Sociology from William & Mary.
The Schroeder Center for Health Policy sponsored Ms. Rowland’s talk as part of its continuing efforts to inform future decision makers about healthcare and population health issues.
