Medicaid Who’s Who: Joe Reblando – Media Relations Consultant for Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA)
1. Which segment of the industry are you currently involved?
A: Medicaid Managed Care
2. How many years have you been in the Medicaid industry?
A: Eight years
3. What is your focus/passion? (Industry related or not)
A: Helping tell the story of America’s under served and the industry that serves them. Also motorcycles, dogs, and bourbon.
4. What is the top item on your “bucket list?”
A: To remove the term “bucket list” from the American lexicon ?
5. What do you enjoy doing most with your personal time?
A: Spending time with family
6. Who is your favorite historical figure and why?
A: Winston Churchill for his charismatic leadership qualities, his courage and resolve in the face of tyranny, and his daily whiskeys.
7. What is your favorite junk food?
A: Pizza, but not just any pizza – I’m talking about real NY pizza where you fold slices in half before taking a bite
8. Of what accomplishment are you most proud?
A: Being quoted in the New York Times in a story by Robert Pear on Medicaid payments to physicians
9. For what one thing do you wish you could get a mulligan?
A: Not discovering health care public relations as a profession earlier. However, I think all my varied roles in health care up until now led me to where I am today (and I am a better health care public relations professional for it), so it’s all good.
10. What are the top 1-3 issues that you think will be important in Medicaid during the next 6 months?
A:
- States seeking waivers for their Medicaid programs, especially those instituting work requirements
- Bringing high drug prices down via a total revamp of the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program