2025 State Issues Retreat

Dates:: Oct 7 - 8, 2025
Location:: Nashville, TN

Connect with leaders from coast-to-coast who are working to make health care better, equitable, and affordable for all Americans. Attendance is limited to AHIP health plan members, AHIP retained counsels, and state trade association executives.

Registration Rates and Policies Click Here to See Full Agenda

Agenda

11:00 am - 5:30 pm Oct 7 • 2025

10:00 am – 5:45 pm

Registration

10:00 am – 2:30 pm

State Trade Association Executives Meeting (By Invitation Only)

11:00 am – 2:30 pm

Retained Counsel Briefing (By Invitation Only)

3:00 pm – 3:50 pm

General Sessions

3:00 pm – 3:05 pm,
Welcome
- Learn more about Miranda Motter, JD
  
  Miranda Motter, JD
  ,
  Senior Vice President, State Affairs & Policy
  , AHIP
3:05 pm – 3:50 pm,
Navigating the Current Health Care Landscape: A Deep Dive into the Emerging Trends Driving State Policy
- Learn more about Sohini Gupta, JD
  
  Sohini Gupta, JD
  ,
  Executive Vice President, Government Affairs & Innovations
  , AHIP
- Learn more about John Oates
  
  John Oates
  ,
  Vice President, State Government Affairs, Cigna Healthcare and Chair, SGRC
  ,
- Learn more about Tom Palumbo
  
  Tom Palumbo
  ,
  Counsel
  , AHIP
- Learn more about Jeanette Thornton
  
  Jeanette Thornton
  ,
  Executive Vice President, Policy & Strategy
  , AHIP

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Regional Breakout Sessions

5:30 pm

End of Day 1

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Reception

8:00 am - 5:00 pm Oct 8 • 2025

8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Registration

8:00 am – 9:00 am

Exhibit Hall Open

9:00 am – 11:15 am

Keynote Sessions + Innovation Spotlight

9:00 am – 9:45 am,
The Prior Authorization Industry Initiative
- Learn more about Sohini Gupta, JD
  
  Sohini Gupta, JD
  ,
  Executive Vice President, Government Affairs & Innovations
  , AHIP
- Learn more about Tina Stow
  
  Tina Stow
  ,
  Executive Vice President, Public Affairs
  , AHIP
- Learn more about Jeanette Thornton
  
  Jeanette Thornton
  ,
  Executive Vice President, Policy & Strategy
  , AHIP
10:00 am – 10:45 am,
Commercial and Individual Markets: Hot Topics
- Learn more about Adam Beck
  
  Adam Beck
  ,
  Senior Vice President, Commercial Product & Employer Policy
  , AHIP
- Learn more about Jeff Drozda
  
  Jeff Drozda
  ,
  Chief Executive Officer
  , Louisiana Association of Health Plans
- Learn more about Katie Dzurec
  
  Katie Dzurec
  ,
  Director, Public Policy Outreach
  , American Academy of Actuaries
- Learn more about Larry Lewis
  
  Larry Lewis
  ,
  Senior Director, State Government Affairs
  , Cigna Healthcare
10:45 am – 11:15 am,
Leveraging Collective Energy
- Learn more about Franca D’Agostino
  
  Franca D’Agostino
  ,
  Director, State Government Affairs
  , Cigna Healthcare
- Learn more about Leanne D. Gassaway, MSL, MHA
  
  Leanne D. Gassaway, MSL, MHA
  ,
  Vice President, State Government Affairs
  , CVS Health

11:15 am – 11:30 am

Transition Break

11:30 am – 12:15 pm

Concurrent Sessions

- Medigap Matters: What Advocates and Policymakers Need to Know
  Speakers
  
  Robert Bell, Nebraska Insurance Federation
  
  Pati McCandless, Health Care Service Corporation
- Reconciliation Realities: How the 2025 Bill Reshapes State Medicaid Programs
  Speaker

12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

General Luncheon Session

,
Strategies for Building Impactful State Campaigns

1:15 pm – 1:45 pm

Break

1:45 pm – 3:15 pm

Keynote Sessions + Innovation Spotlight

1:45 pm – 2:30 pm,
Examining Emerging and Important Topics for the 2026 Legislative Session: Part 1
- Learn more about Samantha Burns
  
  Samantha Burns
  ,
  Vice President, State Affairs and Policy
  , AHIP
- Learn more about Angela Evatt
  
  Angela Evatt
  ,
  Director, State Public Policy
  , Humana Health Care Plan – Lexington
2:30 pm – 3:15 pm,
Examining Emerging and Important Topics for the 2026 Legislative Session: Part 2
- Learn more about Sean Dickson, JD, MPH
  
  Sean Dickson, JD, MPH
  ,
  Senior Vice President, Pharmaceutical Policy & Strategy
  , AHIP

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm

Break

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

General Session

,
2026 in Focus: Setting the Agenda for Impact

Agenda

10:00 am – 5:45 pm Registration

10:00 am – 2:30 pm State Trade Association Executives Meeting (By Invitation Only)

11:00 am – 2:30 pm Retained Counsel Briefing (By Invitation Only)

3:00 pm – 3:50 pm General Sessions

Welcome

Navigating the Current Health Care Landscape: A Deep Dive into the Emerging Trends Driving State Policy

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm Regional Breakout Sessions

5:30 pm End of Day 1

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Reception

8:00 am – 4:00 pm Registration

8:00 am – 9:00 am Exhibit Hall Open

9:00 am – 11:15 am Keynote Sessions + Innovation Spotlight

The Prior Authorization Industry Initiative

Commercial and Individual Markets: Hot Topics

Leveraging Collective Energy

11:15 am – 11:30 am Transition Break

11:30 am – 12:15 pm Concurrent Sessions

12:15 pm – 1:15 pm General Luncheon Session

Strategies for Building Impactful State Campaigns

1:15 pm – 1:45 pm Break

1:45 pm – 3:15 pm Keynote Sessions + Innovation Spotlight

Examining Emerging and Important Topics for the 2026 Legislative Session: Part 1

Examining Emerging and Important Topics for the 2026 Legislative Session: Part 2

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm Break

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm General Session

2026 in Focus: Setting the Agenda for Impact

5:00 pm Conference Adjourns

Agenda Filters

Sessions

11:00 am - 5:30 pm Oct 7 • 2025

10:00 am – 5:45 pm , Registration

10:00 am – 2:30 pm , State Trade Association Executives Meeting (By Invitation Only)

11:00 am – 2:30 pm , Retained Counsel Briefing (By Invitation Only)

3:00 pm – 3:50 pm , General Sessions

Welcome

Navigating the Current Health Care Landscape: A Deep Dive into the Emerging Trends Driving State Policy

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm , Regional Breakout Sessions

5:30 pm , End of Day 1

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm , Reception

8:00 am - 5:00 pm Oct 8 • 2025

8:00 am – 4:00 pm , Registration

8:00 am – 9:00 am , Exhibit Hall Open

9:00 am – 11:15 am , Keynote Sessions + Innovation Spotlight

The Prior Authorization Industry Initiative

Commercial and Individual Markets: Hot Topics

Leveraging Collective Energy

11:15 am – 11:30 am , Transition Break

11:30 am – 12:15 pm , Concurrent Sessions

Medigap Matters: What Advocates and Policymakers Need to Know

Reconciliation Realities: How the 2025 Bill Reshapes State Medicaid Programs

12:15 pm – 1:15 pm , General Luncheon Session

Strategies for Building Impactful State Campaigns

1:15 pm – 1:45 pm , Break

1:45 pm – 3:15 pm , Keynote Sessions + Innovation Spotlight

Examining Emerging and Important Topics for the 2026 Legislative Session: Part 1

Examining Emerging and Important Topics for the 2026 Legislative Session: Part 2

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm , Break

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm , General Session

2026 in Focus: Setting the Agenda for Impact

5:00 pm , Conference Adjourns

10:00 am – 5:45 pm

Registration

10:00 am – 2:30 pm

State Trade Association Executives Meeting (By Invitation Only)

11:00 am – 2:30 pm

Retained Counsel Briefing (By Invitation Only)

3:00 pm – 3:50 pm

General Sessions

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Regional Breakout Sessions

5:30 pm

End of Day 1

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Reception

8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Registration

8:00 am – 9:00 am

Exhibit Hall Open

9:00 am – 11:15 am

Keynote Sessions + Innovation Spotlight

11:15 am – 11:30 am

Transition Break

11:30 am – 12:15 pm

Concurrent Sessions

12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

General Luncheon Session

1:15 pm – 1:45 pm

Break

1:45 pm – 3:15 pm

Keynote Sessions + Innovation Spotlight

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm

Break

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

General Session

5:00 pm

Conference Adjourns

10:00 am – 5:45 pm

, Registration

10:00 am – 2:30 pm

, State Trade Association Executives Meeting (By Invitation Only)

11:00 am – 2:30 pm

, Retained Counsel Briefing (By Invitation Only)

3:00 pm – 3:50 pm

, General Sessions

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

, Regional Breakout Sessions

5:30 pm

, End of Day 1

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

, Reception

8:00 am – 4:00 pm

, Registration

8:00 am – 9:00 am

, Exhibit Hall Open

9:00 am – 11:15 am

, Keynote Sessions + Innovation Spotlight

11:15 am – 11:30 am

, Transition Break

11:30 am – 12:15 pm

, Concurrent Sessions

12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

, General Luncheon Session

1:15 pm – 1:45 pm

, Break

1:45 pm – 3:15 pm

, Keynote Sessions + Innovation Spotlight

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm

, Break

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm

, General Session

5:00 pm

, Conference Adjourns