Medicaid Industry Who’s Who Series: Joe Reblando

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