People-Centered Policy Design with Natalie Davis

We may be politically divided, but when it comes to healthcare there is actually a lot we agree on as a nation. We want healthcare that is affordable. We want a healthcare system that is easy to understand and navigate. We want to know we will receive good care when we need it most. These insights are something our guest Natalie Davis takes to heart in her work at United States of Care. She and her team are fighting hard to help create a more dependable healthcare system for diverse and underserved Americans. We discuss:Why we should never use the term “value-based care” ever again.Braidwood vs. Becerra: The court case that may eliminate free preventive services for half of all Americans.The double whammy of US healthcare: system failures and personal shame.How to nurture listening and belonging on a team.<br/>Natalie says before you start listening, you need to consider who is being failed by the healthcare system and prioritize hearing their stories:“If we look at something like maternal health – which is a work that we're doing right now – if you look at the data, it is women of color, especially Black women who are left behind and facing a real failure of our system, which is causing morbidity and mortality. And so, for our organization, we are listening loudly to Black women and we are talking to people in communit[ies], we are talking in focus groups to really make sure we understand those issues. Because, if the people who are not served by this healthcare system are listened to and then served it will make the healthcare system function better for all of us.”Relevant LinksUnited States of Care's websiteUnited Solutions for CarePatient-First Care (a.k.a. Value-Based Care) Messaging FindingsUnited States of Care Preventive Services Resource HubInsight Report from November 2023 The amicus brief United States of Care submitted on Braidwood vs. Becerra
About Our GuestNatalie Davis has worked for nearly two decades shaping and implementing American health care policies to improve the lives of all people. In 2018, she and fellow national health care leader Andy Slavitt launched United States of Care to ensure that everyone in the country has access to quality, affordable health care regardless of health status, social need, or income. She is relentless in her person-centered approach to building health care solutions and has a history of building partnerships – with organizations, patient advocacy groups and everyday people – that work to create positive change in our country’s health care system. From 2010-2016, Natalie served at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, with the final two years as Senior Advisor to former CMS Administrator, Andy Slavitt. In 2017, Natalie served as the Director of Strategic Engagement at the Bipartisan Policy Center. A social entrepreneur, Natalie also helped found Town Hall Ventures and The Medicaid Transformation Project, both of which focus on bringing the best of innovation and care de