2026 Michigan State of Reform Health Policy Conference

To start the day, hear from Meghan Groen, Chief Deputy Director of Health Services at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, about her department’s work on health policy. In this moderated keynote, Groen will share her agency’s current work, its goals for the future, and her perspective on many of the issues on the day’s agenda. 

Meghan Groen: Chief Deputy Director, Health Services, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services

Moderator: Farah Hanley: Regional Director, Coverage Policy & Program Design, Health Management Associates

This panel explores the profound implications of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act on Michigan’s Medicaid managed care sector, analyzing how proposed cuts and new eligibility hurdles could undermine coverage for up to 700,000 state residents, destabilize rural hospitals, and strain the health-plan infrastructure. As Michigan braces for work requirements, reduced federal match rates, and administrative burdens, our discussion will foreground both the challenges and the policy levers available: strategies for state-level mitigation, cross-sector collaboration to shore up community providers, and innovative funding or delivery reforms so that health plans and providers can sustain access, equity, and financial stability even amid sharply reduced federal support.

Danielle Devine: Market President, McLaren Health Plan

Nicole Hudson, MPP: Director, Office of Oversight & Program Coordination, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services

Dominick Pallone: Executive Director, Michigan Association of Health Plans

Jaffer Traish: Chief Executive Officer, Findhelp

Joshua Traylor, MPH: Executive Director, Center for Health & Research Transformation

The buzzword among policymakers for the 2026 elections is “affordability.” Polls consistently find that patients and consumers feel they are paying more for healthcare but receiving less. Stakeholders in the health sector can either point at each other for the blame or work together to make meaningful change. Michigan has challenges as an aging state with a legacy “Rust Belt” economy that is failing to attract new business and maintain economic growth. A strong health sector relies on a healthy economy with a diverse coverage mix. This session will explore what is in each stakeholder’s control, what is not, and what could be done to make Michigan a model for solving the affordability puzzle. 

Qiana Harrison: Chief Executive Officer, Senior Care Partners, PACE Michigan

Sean Kendall: President, Double Nickel

Stacey Kowal, MSc: Head, Public Policy Evidence, Genentech

Marschall S. Runge, MD, PhD: Former Dean, University of Michigan Medical School; Chief Executive Officer, Michigan Medicine

Moderator: Kristina Ko: Vice President, Government Relations & Public Policy, Priority Health

This panel will examine the rollout of Michigan’s Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) program and its pivotal role in the state’s broader strategy to strengthen long-term care. Panelists will discuss how the program aligns with statewide priorities such as expanding home-and community-based services, reducing institutional reliance, advancing person-centered care planning, and improving quality and accountability across the long-term care continuum. The session will highlight opportunities, challenges, and what stakeholders across the health system need to consider to ensure that D-SNP integration meaningfully advances long-term care reform in Michigan.

Eric Doeh: Chief Executive Officer, Humana

Matthew Seager: Director, Integrated Care Division, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services

Christine Vanlandingham: President & Chief Executive Officer, Region IV Area Agency on Aging

Moderator: Michael Parr: Executive Director, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan

This panel will explore how the provisions of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act—particularly its federal tax, revenue, and fiscal policy changes—ripple through Michigan’s overall state budget, influencing long-term planning, economic forecasts, and the balance between state-funded and federally supported programs. Speakers will break down how alterations in federal deductions, corporate and individual tax structures, and projected federal revenues affect Michigan’s tax base, budget stability, and capacity to invest in key priorities such as education, infrastructure, and health services.

Jen Flood: Director, Michigan State Budget Office

Moderator: David Fosdick: Associate Principal, Health Management Associates

This panel will explore Michigan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen rural healthcare, focusing on the intersecting challenges of workforce shortages, hospital financial instability, limited specialty access, and gaps in behavioral health and long-term care services. Panelists will examine statewide initiatives aimed at stabilizing rural hospitals, expanding telehealth and mobile care delivery, bolstering clinician recruitment and retention, and integrating community-based and public health resources to better address social drivers of health. The discussion will highlight innovative partnerships, financing strategies, and policy opportunities that can help ensure rural Michiganders receive accessible, high-quality, and sustainable care—while showcasing models that could be scaled across the state’s diverse rural communities. 

John Barnas: Center for Rural Health, Michigan State University

Mat Edick: Director, Center for Strategic Health Partnerships, Michigan Public Health Institute

Lauren LaPine-Ray: Vice President, Policy & Rural Health, Michigan Health & Hospital Association

Beth Nagel, MA: Senior Deputy Director for Policy & Planning, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services

Moderator: Philip Bergquist: Executive Director, Michigan Primary Care Association

This panel examines how the provisions of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act—including potential federal spending constraints, regulatory shifts, and changes affecting Medicaid and other public-program funding—could ripple through Michigan’s healthcare provider landscape. We will explore the operational and financial pressures these policies may create for hospitals, community health centers, behavioral health agencies, and independent practices, particularly those serving high-need and rural communities. Panelists will also discuss how Michigan’s health sector can respond proactively through coordinated advocacy, value-based care strategies, strengthened provider–payer partnerships, and innovative care-delivery models that protect access, stabilize margins, and maintain equitable care for vulnerable populations despite shifting federal policy. 

Laura Appel: Executive Vice President, Government Relations & Public Policy, Michigan Health & Hospital Association

Phillip Bergquist: Executive Director, Michigan Primary Care Association

Moderator: Andrew Schalk: Associate Principal, Health Management Associates

Recent programmatic changes in Michigan’s behavioral health system—including shifts toward integrated care models, expanded Medicaid behavioral health benefits, new quality and reporting requirements, and evolving funding structures—have reshaped how providers deliver and coordinate services across the state. This panel will examine how these policy updates have impacted clinical operations, workforce capacity, crisis response systems, and community-based supports, highlighting both the opportunities created by greater emphasis on whole-person care and the challenges posed by administrative complexity and uneven implementation.

Daniel Cherrin, JD: Founder & President, North Coast Strategies; Executive Director, Michigan Care Council

Dana Lasenby, MA, LLP, MBA: Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director, Oakland Community Health Network

Kristen Morningstar: Director, Bureau of Specialty Behavioral Health Services, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services

Robert Sheehan: Chief Executive Officer, Community Mental Health Association

Moderator: Briana Jacob: Senior Consultant, Health Management Associates

Hear from some of the Michigan Legislature’s leading health policymakers about what to expect during this year’s legislative session. These lawmakers will discuss legislation they’re supporting and the major themes that they anticipate for health policy reform this year.

Sen. Sarah Anthony: Chair, Appropriations Committee, Michigan Senate

Rep. Phil Green: Chair, Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Health

Rep. Curtis VanderWall: Chair, Health Policy Committee, Michigan House of Representatives

Moderator: Zach Gorchow: President, Gongwer News Service Michigan