BCBSM, Healthfirst, CareFirst Community Health Plan, & Drips: MA Strategy Playbook

BCBSM, Healthfirst, CareFirst Community Health Plan, & Drips: MA Strategy Playbook

From Bright Spots in Healthcare by Eric Glazer

April 15, 2026 · 1h 1m

About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges in executing Medicare Advantage strategies effectively.

In this Bright Spots in Healthcare episode, host Eric Glazer brings together payer leaders to explore a fundamental challenge in Medicare Advantage: why strong strategies often fail to translate into sustained performance. This conversation focuses on the gap between intention and execution, where plans invest heavily in programs, outreach, and data, yet still struggle to drive the member actions that ultimately determine cost, quality, and experience. This is a candid discussion for executives navigating rising pressure on margins, increasing complexity in member populations, and the growing need to prove performance beyond activity alone. Our guests include: Mike Rapach, President & CEO, CareFirst Community Health Plan Maryland Joshua Meeks, Vice President, Medicare Advantage Individual Business, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Jen Cohen-Smith, SVP Medicare, Healthfirst Kathleen Faulk, Chief Strategy Officer, Drips Together, they explore: Where Medicare Advantage strategies break down, not in design, but in execution Why member engagement alone is no longer sufficient to drive outcomes How leading plans are shifting from outreach to activation by addressing barriers to…

People in this episode

Host: Eric Glazer

Guests: Mike Rapach, Joshua Meeks, Jen Cohen-Smith, Kathleen Faulk

Topics covered

  • Medicare Advantage
  • healthcare strategy
  • member engagement
  • payer performance

Keywords

  • cost
  • quality
  • experience
  • member actions

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Drips

Places: Maryland

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