New Health Equity National Advisory Board to provide guidance and foster innovation

Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and equitable opportunity to achieve their full health potential without any social, economic, or environmental barriers. Achieving health equity requires ongoing work to change systems and structures that intentionally or unintentionally impact this ability.

UnitedHealthcare Community & State is committed to applying an equity lens to all the work we do and to collaborate and consult with partners, community organizations and experts who can help guide us in this work. To further this effort, we recently formed a Health Equity National Advisory Board (Health Equity Board) to serve as an independent, third-party council to UnitedHealthcare Community & State. Internally, the Health Equity Board will help us build organizational infrastructure and leadership capacity to integrate health equity across our managed care business operations, practices and policies. In addition, the board will provide external thought leadership to inform and influence the prioritization of health equity in the Medicaid program.

The Health Equity Board’s goals are to:

  • Serve as a forum for feedback and reactions to UnitedHealthcare’s efforts to embed health equity into our core business functions
  • Provide feedback and direction for UnitedHealthcare’s initiatives impacting member disparities and health inequities
  • Develop and champion innovations across our organization and the overall Medicaid system to support efforts to reduce health inequities faced by enrollees of Medicaid
  • Inform UnitedHealthcare’s position and thought leadership on addressing health inequity
  • Help influence policy and program design changes needed to support the prioritization of health equity in the Medicaid program and Medicaid managed care organizations

The board comprises leading experts and advocates as well as Community & State health plan consumers and caregivers. Members currently include:

To improve health equity, we must continually address individual, societal and environmental barriers to health. We are honored to collaborate with our board members, all of whom have diverse and invaluable expertise in this area, and look forward to the work we will accomplish together.

Nicole Truhe

Nicole Truhe

Senior Director of Medicaid Policy

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As the Senior Director of Medicaid Policy, Nicole leads the development of policy positioning and associated advocacy and thought leadership strategies related to both traditional and complex Medicaid covered populations. This includes TANF and CHIP populations (with focus on maternal and child health), Medicaid Expansion, Child Welfare, Criminal Justice Involved, and I/DD populations. Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare, Nicole served as the Government Affairs Director for America Forward where she led policy strategy and advocacy efforts related to Pay for Success/evidence-based policy, workforce development, career and technical education, higher education, and social innovation. Nicole also worked for over a decade at a national child welfare and children’s mental health non-profit where she advocated for policy and funding changes in the child welfare, juvenile justice, Medicaid/children’s mental health, and innovative financing policy areas. Nicole has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN and a Master’s in Public Administration/Public Policy from the University of Memphis.
Catherine Anderson

Catherine Anderson

Senior Vice President, Health Equity Strategy

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Catherine Anderson is the senior vice president of health equity strategy for UnitedHealth Group. She is a key member of the sustainability team, working to support efforts across UnitedHealthcare and Optum to advance health equity. In this role, Catherine is responsible for engaging internal and external stakeholders and partners to shape policy, convene communities, and design interventions to reduce disparities. UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone through two distinct and complementary businesses. Optum delivers care aided by technology and data, empowering people, partners and providers with the guidance and tools they need to achieve better health. UnitedHealthcare offers a full range of health benefits, enabling affordable coverage, simplifying the health care experience, and delivering access to high-quality care. Catherine has more than 30 years of experience in public policy development, legislative affairs, advocacy, and product development. Previously, she was senior vice president of policy & strategic engagement for UnitedHealthcare Community & State. In this role, she served as a key member of the executive team and spearheaded national strategy to direct and shape public policy and advocacy efforts for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and more. Catherine led strategic and business development for new products and oversaw community-based integration models that advance health equity and address social determinants of health. She currently serves as board chair for Medicaid Health Plans of America. She established a national Health Equity Advisory Board at UnitedHealthcare, serves on UnitedHealth Group’s Health Equity Steering Committee, is the chair of the UnitedHealthcare National Advisory Board, and is the chair of the UnitedHealthcare Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Board. Catherine earned a B.A. in political science/sociology from Phillips University, a master’s in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver, and a master’s in health care delivery science from Dartmouth College.

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