A convening for innovators, investors & payers
Future
Forward
Medicaid & Mental Health Innovation
Where Medicaid innovation finally closes the deal.
Stop navigating state-by-state fragmentation in isolation. Join the curated convening where youth mental health founders and Medicaid managed care leaders align outcomes-based models with reimbursement reality.
The Gaylord
Nashville, TN · Sept 24, 2026 · Noon – 6:00 PM
Fiore Ventures
The day
Relationships over frameworks.
This agenda deliberately pairs hard policy data in the early afternoon with dynamic, peer-to-peer sharing before evening drinks.
True innovation relies on building lasting trust between innovators, investors, and payers — so come ready to share your honest asks and offers.
A full afternoon
Of engaging content and connections
12 MCOs
Live payer panel on contracting realities and networking
Program
Event Agenda
12:00 – 12:45 PM
01Mingle, Lunch and Introductions
Opening conversations and dynamic group introductions to kick off the convening.
1:00 – 1:45 PM
02Closing the Gap: Digital Crisis Care Meets Medicaid Managed Care
Fireside chat moderated by Kody Kinsley with Willow Health and Alliance Health (NC Medicaid MCO). Discover what Medicaid expansion + the behavioral health investment actually unlocked for access in the state of North Carolina
1:45 – 2:00 PM
03Mid-Afternoon Break
Recharge, grab refreshments, and catch up informally.
2:00 – 2:45 PM
04Three Plans, One Challenge: Innovating Youth Behavioral Health Under Medicaid
Three Medicaid managed care organizations — Health Net (CA), Carelon (multi-state BH), and Healthfirst (NY) — bring three different models for the same problem: how do you scale innovative youth behavioral health care inside the constraints of Medicaid? This panel puts plan leaders in conversation about what's actually driving investment and adoption decisions.
3:00 – 4:15 PM
05"Ask Me Anything" Roundtable Rotations
Three fast-paced rotations across dedicated tables covering Policy, Payers, and Funders.
4:30 – 6:00 PM
06Social Hour
Unwind and keep the conversation going over drinks and light bites.
Who is in the room
Speakers overview
A senior-level gathering of Medicaid policy and payer leadership, spanning both the government and health plan sides of the system.
Former state Medicaid directors
From North Carolina, Virginia, and Indiana — leaders who ran statewide Medicaid programs and now advise or work across the digital health and policy landscape.
Current state officials
Medicaid and behavioral health officials, including sitting agency leadership from Iowa and health advisor to Kentucky's governor.
Health plan & MCO executives
Payers across California, New York, Colorado, and North Carolina — including national, regional & county Medicaid managed care organizations.
National payer perspective
Two former national payer executives with cross-market Medicaid managed care experience.
Geographic reach
Attendees bring direct Medicaid and behavioral health experience from at least eight states — CA, NC, VA, CO, IN, KY, IA, NY — plus a multi-state payer perspective.
Why it matters
This room has people who've written Medicaid policy, run state programs, and built payer strategy — a rare mix of the regulatory and commercial sides of behavioral health in one place.
States represented
Invitation only
Come curious & ready to share.
Bring one honest ask and one real offer. We'll handle the rest — lunch, panels, roundtables, and connections that actually stick.
RSVP