295: How to keep patients on Medicaid amid looming cuts
From Radio Advisory by Advisory Board
April 21, 2026 · 31 min
About this episode
The episode discusses strategies for healthcare leaders to maintain Medicaid coverage for patients amid impending cuts and administrative challenges.
The U.S. healthcare system is approaching a major inflection point. Nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts are set to take effect in January 2027, driven by new work requirements, more frequent eligibility checks, and tighter limits on state financing. While the policy changes are months away, their consequences are already clear: millions of Americans are at risk of losing coverage, and provider organizations — many operating on margins near zero — will absorb the downstream impact through rising uncompensated care. In this episode, hosts Rae Woods and Abby Burns are joined by former Optum Executive Director of Product and Strategy Sunay Shah to help healthcare leaders move from “scramble” to strategy. Drawing on lessons from past Medicaid shifts, including redeterminations and state level work requirement experiments, they explain why administrative disenrollment —not ineligibility — is the biggest threat facing patients and providers alike. Together, they break down what health systems can do now to keep eligible patients covered: redesigning workflows earlier in the patient journey, using technology more thoughtfully, partnering with community organizations, state agencies, and…
People in this episode
Hosts: Rae Woods, Abby Burns
Guest: Sunay Shah
Topics covered
- Medicaid cuts
- healthcare strategy
- patient coverage
- administrative disenrollment
- health system workflows
- community partnerships
Keywords
- Medicaid
- healthcare
- patient coverage
- administrative disenrollment
- health system
- community organizations
- work requirements
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Optum, CMMI
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