Good morning everyone, and welcome to AHIP’s Consumer Experience and Digital Health Forum.
I’m Matt Eyles, President and CEO of AHIP.
We are thrilled that you’ve joined us here in Nashville.
You’re in the right place to make new connections, listen to fantastic speakers, and spark new ideas….perhaps a little something to fill your schedule for why you are really here – cmon we know it….you’re here for the food and great music!
But in all seriousness, if you look around the audience, Nashville is one of THE places to be in health care.
And please be sure to check out the exhibit hall – we have terrific sponsors and exhibitors who will surely make your experience these next couple days that much better.
As you already know – we have an incredible lineup of speakers ahead of us.
And I’m really looking forward to learning more about how our industry’s innovations are addressing some of the most pressing challenges in health care.
But I have to say… this year’s conference is quite bittersweet for me, as it marks my final appearance as AHIP’s President and CEO.
What a tremendous ride it’s been.
I started at ÐÜèÊÓƵin January 2015….and became President and CEO in June 2018.
In fact, the first major ÐÜèÊÓƵconference for me was here in Nashville in 2015 to inaugurate Music City Center for ÐÜèÊÓƵInstitute & Expo --- and that was two CEOs ago!
2015 might not seem like a long time, but in health care, it’s an eternity.
When I joined AHIP, the ACA was still new….Repeal and Replace was…well, a thing….until 2017.
Now…things are a little different.
When I took over as CEO in 2018, we had yet to face COVID-19, when you said Zoom…most people had never heard or it…or maybe for those who share my age and vintage….thought you were talking about an old kids’ show on PBS…and we still used fax machines—oh wait, we still do that— what’s up with that??
But during the upcoming sessions, we will learn more about how this will soon be a relic of the past.
We also weren’t talking about artificial intelligence, which is everywhere today…and we’ll get into AI over the next 2 days, for sure.
And we weren’t on the cusp of a national network to let the entire country seamlessly share electronic health care data, which will be a real game changer.
My first speech here in Nashville was squarely focused on 2 of AHIP’s foundational principles: making health care affordable… and ensuring that Americans have access to high-quality care.
Since that time, we’ve made great strides in many areas…boosting access to state-of-the art telehealth and giving patients the ability to interact with their doctor from hundreds of miles away.
Americans have embraced telehealth for both physical and mental health care, and health insurance providers are delivering for them.
People seeking virtual mental health treatment, for example, has been the single biggest area for growth since the COVID-19 crisis.
Consumers have taken to virtual care and decided to try telehealth because of the convenience.
We’ve taking advantage of the endless array of digital tools and apps available at the touch of a screen...they can offer everything from emotional support through a text-based chat to meditation exercises.
We’ve created solutions to support competition, which is so essential to improving affordability, access, and value for everyone.
We continue to work toward improving patient choice; protecting patients, and businesses from overpaying for care; improving transparency; and stopping drug pricing games.
Our mission is simple, focused on Americans’ desire for access to affordable, high-quality, equitable health care.
Everything we do is part of that mission, and leveraging innovation and technology is critical.
It’s what Americans want: Let’s Build on what we’ve accomplished so far and find new solutions to fix what’s broken.
Health insurance providers know from experience that innovation isn’t just about technology.
It’s about looking at our health care system in a new way…designing bold solutions to solve some of the thorniest problems we face.
Americans deserve a stronger, better, more effective health care system.
They deserve the peace of mind that comes with better health, and better financial security.
ÐÜèÊÓƵand our members will continue to deliver that for them.
As we turn toward the fall of this year, challenges remain.
Pharmacy issues…health care transparency….and others.
During the first speech I gave at CDF almost 5 years ago, I mentioned a new effort to protect patients against surprise bills.
That fight continues to this day.
Even though the No Surprises Act has prevented roughly 20 million surprise bills, court challenges from hospitals and providers continue to mount, motivated not on the patient’s behalf, but solely on profit.
But I know that our industry has the solutions, and I also know that ÐÜèÊÓƵwill stand firm to protect patients and the cost savings they’ve gained from the No Surprises Act.
As this is my last time to speak with you as CEO, I will leave you all with a charge…a call to action…and some final perspectives.
The consumer and patient experience in health care is still TOO complicated.
We hear the stories reported almost every single day.
And if we are looking at a mirror of our health care system and its complexity, our industry’s reflection is a notable part of the picture.
Yet, I firmly believe that ÐÜèÊÓƵmember organizations and our industry more broadly are in the single best position of any sector to improve the consumer experience in health care.
We touch every part of the health care system that consumers and patients need to access.
We are the only sector with a true 360 degree perspective.
No one else.
We have the data, the analytics, the information, the insights, the tools, the connective tissue to help consumers and patients navigate the system….to be their advocate in making the best decisions about the high-quality care and treatment they and their families need….to help them get better when they are sick, stay healthy when they are well, and do so at a cost they can afford.
We can and must continue to strive to improve how consumers and patients experience our system.
….and I have the full confidence we will continue to follow our north star and reach that destination.
It’s been an honor to be AHIP’s President and CEO these past 5 years…
And I know ÐÜèÊÓƵwill continue to lead the way….creating and implementing innovative solutions to ensure that Americans have access to high-quality health care...
….being and acting as the most effective, impactful advocacy organization in all of healthcare in our nation’s capital and across the states.
Thank you.
Thank you for your friendship. Your collaboration. Your guidance.
But most of all – your ideas and solutions.
It’s been an honor to be AHIP’s President and CEO working on your behalf and the behalf of consumers, patients, payers, and taxpayers across our great nation.
Julie Miller, our newly named interim CEO, is well-known to many here…a well-respected, seasoned executive who will provide a steady hand for ÐÜèÊÓƵduring this transition.
We appreciate Julie’s long-standing leadership at ÐÜèÊÓƵfor almost 20 years, as the Board completes its search for a permanent leader.
And she’ll be here at the Conference…so please say hello.
In closing, I’d like to share AHIP’s mission statement….the reason why we do what we do.
We are champions of care.
Health insurance providers, working together as one.
Making health care better and coverage more affordable for every American.
And guiding the conversation on care.
We are advancing mental and physical health.
Always improving how and where we help others. Harnessing the power of our collective expertise.
Turning healthy insights into helpful innovations.
All for the greater good.
So everyone can thrive in good health. Together.
That’s what care does.
Guiding Greater Health.
Now it’s time to get started with our fantastic program.
It’s all about innovation, so let’s get the conversation started.