Curitics Conversations: Episode 2 – Ceci Connolly on MA, Medicaid & Health Plan Realities

Curitics Conversations: Episode 2 – Ceci Connolly on MA, Medicaid & Health Plan Realities

In this episode of Curitics Conversations, Ceci Connolly, President and CEO of the Alliance of Community Health Plans, joins us to unpack the evolving realities of Medicare Advantage and Medicaid. Drawing from her experience across healthcare journalism, policy, and leadership, Ceci shares a grounded perspective on what it actually takes to run community-based health plans in today’s environment. The conversation explores the growing policy and reimbursement pressures facing plans, the operational tradeoffs between cost, quality, and access, and how community-based organizations are approaching innovation, value-based care, and complex patient populations. Ceci also highlights what policymakers and industry leaders often misunderstand about these plansand what the future may hold as the healthcare landscape continues to shift.

Curitics Conversations- Episode 1: Real Stories from Building Better Healthcare

In the very first episode of Curitics Conversations, hosts Unmesh Srivastava and John Gorman introduce themselves, share a few “war stories” from their years in healthcare, and explain why they created this podcast. They set the tone for the series with real-life experiences, honest conversations, and the themes they’ll explore moving forward; value-based care, leadership, and what it really takes to improve outcomes in the real world.