UNITED STATES – November 02, 2026 -- CEOs of community-based health plans told the ACHP Symposium that regional insurers can use their smaller size to move faster than larger rivals, even as tighter margins, regulatory change and rising costs squeeze the sector.
Medica CEO Lisa Erickson says AI lets regional plans leapfrog larger competitors
Erickson, President and CEO of Medica, described the current environment as "a time of opportunity." She argued that regional plans can leapfrog on AI because they are small and local, provided they stay focused. Larger organizations carry more resources but also more layers of systems, teams and approvals that slow a change of direction.
Network Health CEO Coreen Dicus-Johnson orders operational rethink after significant growth
Dicus-Johnson, President and CEO of Network Health, told her team after significant growth that current methods were "not going to help us sustain this type of growth." More members mean more enrollments, payments, reconciliation, communications and service exceptions. A new market can also bring different rules, partners, systems and workflows.
Panelists also stressed deciding what to stop doing. Every technology, process and vendor relationship needs to justify its place in the operating model.
Network Health finds AI already embedded across the organization without coordination
Dicus-Johnson said she found AI appearing across Network Health, in some cases within technology already purchased. She said she would not be the one to limit its use. The open questions for the CEOs were where AI is deployed, how it is governed and where it creates value. Candidate targets include prior authorization friction, manual reconciliation and repetitive service tasks.
Select Health and Medica point to community presence as the differentiator
Network Health staff, including pharmacists, nurses and member service employees, work at farmers markets, state fairs and community centers. The plan also gives employees paid time to volunteer. Medica stepped in for members affected by market disruption. Rob Hitchcock, President and CEO of Select Health, said the plan stays in difficult markets and works closely with providers instead of exiting.
Hitchcock said community plans can take market share by delivering a level of product and service others cannot. Rachel Pryor, Chief Growth Officer of Jefferson Health Plans, urged peers to show "what good looks like."