Interview with BCBS MA CEO Sarah Iselin

Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Sarah Iselin is a great asset for Massachusetts. I admired her work when she ran the Department of Healthcare Finance and Policy and then the BCBS Foundation, and was grateful for her rescue of Massachusetts' implementation of the Affordable Care Act. 

After a decade-long sojourn to Florida and California she's come back to Massachusetts just in time to address some big challenges. Among the topics we discussed:

1. The Steward Healthcare bankruptcy
2. Access to care -especially behavioral health
3. The health care cost crisis
4. Women's health
5. Value based care and the Alternative Quality Contract

I also enjoyed learning about how Sarah was inspired by her parents to enter public service and her early dates as an art student.

As of March 2025 HealthBiz is part of CareTalk. Healthcare. Unfiltered and can be found at the following links:

• Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2GTYhbNnvDHriDp7Xo9s6Z
• Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/caretalk-healthcare-unfiltered/id1532402352
• YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@CareTalkPodcast
• CareTalk website https://www.caretalkpodcast.com/

Host David E. Williams is president of healthcare strategy consulting firm Health Business Group.

Episodes through March 2025 were produced by Dafna Williams.