The National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) is a nonprofit organization advocating for state Medicaid leaders and elevating their voices in national policy discussions.¹ Its mission centers on empowering Medicaid and CHIP leaders to deliver high-value services, helping millions of Americans achieve optimal health and thrive in their communities. Each year, NAMD hosts a conference to reflect on the current Medicaid landscape and shape its future direction. Leaders from across UnitedHealthcare Community & State attend this conference annually to learn from Medicaid Directors and other partners in the Medicaid program. We are a conference sponsor and had a booth within the exhibit hall.
2024 NAMD conference
This year’s conference focused on the theme, “1 in 5: the people, policy and practice of Medicaid”, referring to the 1 in 5 Americans that Medicaid serves. Aligned with this theme, our booth, “Caring for those who care,” emphasized the importance of supporting those who are providing clinical care to individuals covered by Medicaid. Specifically, we focused on the well-being of nurses and the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). As an example of the importance of these relationships, we highlighted our collaboration with Advocates for Community Health (ACH).
ACH and UHC collaborate for healthier communities
In 2023, we worked with ACH to launch the Community Health Entrepreneur Challenge, a multimillion-dollar initiative aimed at helping FQHCs tackle complex community challenges. This initiative provides grant funding of up to $500K for FQHCs to develop and implement innovative solutions tailored to their unique community needs.
To learn more, watch the video below.
Care packages for nurses
At this year’s NAMD conference, we extended our commitment to care by facilitating the assembly of more than 120 self-care packages for nurses at Unity Health Care. Unity is Washington, D.C.’s largest FQHC, serving 1 in 8 D.C. residents through over 20 health sites and a mobile medical outreach vehicle. Annually, Unity’s team of multicultural professionals provides whole-person care to nearly 90K patients through 405K visits.
Unity delivers primary care and specialty services such as dental care, obstetrics, pediatrics, ophthalmology and podiatry, with a particular focus on underserved populations. Their reach extends to uninsured, underinsured and incarcerated individuals as well as high school students and those experiencing homelessness.
Conference highlights
Key discussions at the conference addressed pressing issues and opportunities in Medicaid, including:
- Differentiating between Medicaid and Medicare populations and benefits
- Adapting to policy changes from new administrations
- Medicaid redeterminations
The 2024 NAMD conference served as a platform for collaboration, innovation and celebration of the individuals and organizations that make Medicaid successful. By supporting initiatives like the Community Health Entrepreneur Challenge, we at UnitedHealthcare underscore our dedication to building healthier communities and addressing the well-being of health care providers.
