Former South Dakota Medicaid Director Joins Leavitt Partners, an HMA Company

LANSING, Mich., Nov. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Snyder, former South Dakota Medicaid director, has joined Leavitt Partners, an HMA Company as a principal with the firm. He is the third former Medicaid Director to join the Health Management Associates (HMA) family of companies this year.

Snyder had served as South Dakota's Medicaid director since 2017, where he led a team responsible for ensuring 125,000 residents had access to medical and dental care, medications and long-term care while overseeing a $1 billion annual budget. During his tenure, he directed design of services and benefits to meet the needs of members living in rural, frontier, and Indian reservation areas, including Community Health Worker services.

He worked to advance the use of health information to improve outcomes, including work as an advisory board member to develop a five-year strategic plan for South Dakota HealthLink, the state's health information exchange. Under Snyder's leadership, the Medicaid program enhanced care coordination for patients dually eligible for South Dakota Medicaid and Indian Health Services care, partnered with other government agencies to enhance outreach efforts, and expanded value-based purchasing.

As a principal at Leavitt Partners, an HMA Company, Snyder will advise clients on matters related to health reform, compliance, and program integrity.

Former Idaho Medicaid Director Matt Wimmer joined HMA as a principal in September. Matt was responsible for services to 413,000 beneficiaries and oversight of a $3.7 billion budget. Over his five years as Medicaid director, he led the development and implementation of Medicaid expansion in Idaho and established value-based payment for the Medicaid program, leveraging existing clinically integrated networks and the state primary care case management system.

During Wimmer's tenure he directed a significant expansion of managed care for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. He also led reform efforts related to hospital and nursing facility payments and children's mental health services. Additionally, he guided the development of a new system of care for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

An expert in value-based payment, home and community-based services, and Medicare-Medicaid integration, Wimmer is helping clients navigate the changing healthcare landscape.

Beth Kidder, former Florida deputy secretary for Medicaid, joined HMA in August as a managing principal in its Tallahassee office. She led the Medicaid program for Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration from October of 2016 to May 27 of this year. She was instrumental in transforming the state's Medicaid program to a managed care model and focusing the program on improving the health of people insured by Medicaid. Kidder was also elected president of the National Association of Medicaid Directors and served in this role from April 2020 through March 2021.

With the addition of Snyder, Wimmer, and Kidder, HMA is now home to 11 former Medicaid directors.

Founded in 1985, HMA is an independent, national research and consulting firm specializing in publicly funded healthcare and human services policy, programs, financing, and evaluation. Clients include government, public and private providers, health systems, health plans, community-based organizations, institutional investors, foundations, and associations. HMA has more than 20 offices and over 400 multidisciplinary consultants coast to coast.

For more information about HMA, visit https://www.healthmanagement.com/.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/former-south-dakota-medicaid-director-joins-leavitt-partners-an-hma-company-301423251.html

SOURCE Health Management Associates