Joy Matoney: Vice President, Diversified Business & Growth Planning and Enablement for Highmark, Inc. Discusses Career/Commitment to Bender Partnership to Hire People with Disabilities

At Highmark Health, we believe what makes us unique makes us better. Our differences broaden our perspectives and foster a variety of skills to complement each other, creating a stronger and more vibrant workforce. It's this belief that earned us recognition as the Best Place to Work for the 10th year for individuals with disabilities in a survey by the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN. We'll continue to celebrate and benefit from the inclusion of all people. To find out more, visit highmarkhealth.org. Welcome to Disability Matters with your host Joyce Bender. All comments, views, and opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the host, guest, and callers. Now the host of Disability Matters, here's Joyce Bender.

Hi everyone, welcome to the show. This is Joyce Bender with Disability Matters. On voiceamerica.com. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Such great listeners, such great listeners. I so appreciate you always listening to this show. As I told you last year, I had my 1,000th episode, been on 22 years, with our lead sponsor being no one other than iMark. Who is the lead sponsor of this show. But none of that would happen, like those 1,000 episodes, if I didn't have great listeners like you. And you know, so many of you I meet. I just want to say, if any of you who are listening go in July to the Disability:In conference, make sure you come up and meet me. I would love it. And now to the over 170 countries with listeners. Thank you so much. I don't know why this continues, but Singapore has the largest listening. Largest. And there are so, so many, even countries I wasn't that familiar with in Africa, and there will be one listener. I say it every show, I'm still going to say it again. One person can make a difference. One person. You know what you need to do? You need to go spread the news about this show to everyone, especially English-speaking, or go to the American Embassy because they have the ability there to listen to the show. Because you know what this is all about. Quality of life, the least of these, making sure you have dignity and respect and realize that you can work. So thank you all. Thank you so much. Hello, Yoshiko Dart, special shout out. You know, I'll never forget you, Yoshiko, never. In case you don't know, I know you've heard me say this on every show for years, the Hello Yoshiko, who is the wife of the late, great Justin Dart, the general. You know, he and Yoshiko went multiple times around the United States meeting with groups of people with disabilities to get them behind the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. So, um, you know, She is a historic legend and my friend, and I love her. So hello to you, Yoshiko. And again, hi, Mark. Thank you. This company, if they tried to be better to people with disabilities, they couldn't. Even if they tried. I mean, they're just the best, hands down, for people living with disabilities. From the top down. You can say how great— oh, Joyce, you're so wonderful. Oh, I really think you're great. And I'm going to say, oh good, have you hired anyone? Because that's where the rubber meets the road. Well, let me tell you about Highmark. Yes, as you know, they hire people. And here I am, the CEO of Bender Consulting Services, a woman living with epilepsy and a hearing loss. and this thousands of people with disabilities that found jobs. It all started with Highmark, which is why— here we go— Vice President Joyce Matoni in Diversified Business Planning and Enablement is back with us today because I forced her, and it is always a pleasure to be with her. I said today on LinkedIn, And I meant it. She is absolutely one of the best people I know. She is kind. She is caring. She's brilliant in addition to all of that. But she has soul. She is just a great leader. I was so excited to have her on the show today. You will learn from her. You know what you'll learn? What a great leader is like. That's what you're going to learn. So, Joyce Bender, welcome to the show. Wow.

Well, it's an absolute pleasure to be back, but really, thank you for that introduction. That really truly means a lot to me.

Thank you. Well, it's all over LinkedIn and social media what I said, but I meant every word of it. I mean every minute of it. But I think I told you this last time you were on how, like, I was really surprised to find out that you went to Northwestern and got this degree in biomedical engineering. So impressive. And I asked you then, but I'll ask you now, what made you pursue that career path? What, what made you decide, when I go to college, this is what I'm going to do? What made you decide that?

Um, so I would say my journey from Northwestern to Highmark even, right, is definitely like many others, right? Was not a straight line. I did not know exactly what I wanted to do, um, when I went to school, but I knew I had a passion for learning. I wanted to be challenged. I, um, very much loved and was inquisitive in nature and loved how things worked. So engineering was definitely a natural, um, something that I was very curious about. I I always kind of felt like I was kind of a natural problem solver, wanted to know how things worked. And then on the medical side, biomedical side of things, you know, I grew up in a big family, one of 6 kids. My mother navigated life with multiple sclerosis and kind of gave me a firsthand understanding of, you know, just the human body, how important health is, right? And how the body is incredibly resilient, but also has a number of vulnerabilities. Just the critical role that innovation, technology can play in medicine, you know, all play in enhancing lives. So to me, that was kind of like a natural interest of mine. And really, you know, while I didn't go directly then into medicine, I went into consulting after school. I do think that engineering mindset, analyzing, you know, complex systems, how we seek efficiencies and designing solutions are all were really invaluable to me and helped me transition into the healthcare consulting world and then eventually here at Highmark. So it taught me to approach challenges in a way that was more structured, taught me on the medical side of things to be more empathetic and forward-thinking. And I think all of that's crucial in a dynamic field like healthcare. So it positioned me well, I believe, even though I'm not necessarily doing anything in that specific space, right? It kind of allowed me allowed me to get to where I am.

Yeah, well, you know, two things I want to say about that. First, I read this article where this— it was in Forbes— where this executive said that one of the top questions he asked interview candidates, what are you curious about? And, you know, he feels that is something that helps make you successful. And, you know, there you brought that up at the beginning because when you're inquisitive, that also means you think outside the box, you know, and I don't know, I assume you've seen this, that people are successful that you've seen have that same nature.

Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think you've, you've talked to Similarly, I think you've talked to the head of our health plan, Tom Doran, right? He comes from an aerospace engineering background. I think it's all kind of very similar, right? You know, once you kind of have that curiosity and being able to tackle problems, that's what we do every day, right? We're tackling some of the most challenging problems that, you know, our society faces around healthcare and how do you afford it and how do you make sure, you know, you're helping to navigate people, you know, through the healthcare system and getting the care they need when they need it. It's all about problem solving every day, right? So, being able to kind of bring that to your workplace in a way that, you know, excites you and energizes you, I think is really just an amazing combination.

Well, you definitely have it. And Joyce, speaking of you have it, for our listeners, explain, well, where do you work now and what is your position? What do you do?

Work. So I currently work within our diversified businesses and growth team at Highmark. So my role, I lead, I think as you mentioned in the beginning, I lead the planning and enablement team for that organization. So in essence, my role is about ensuring that our various business segments are not just, you know, meeting their objectives, but how do we enable them a way so that they're truly thriving and we expand the impact that we have on the broader organization and the enterprise. So it involves everything from like strategic planning and execution to how do we help identify and foster new partnerships opportunities that'll help us grow, create scale so that we can create solutions that can be utilized by other health organizations, by our customers. And ultimately, at the end of the day, it's about really contributing to Heimarkt's mission, which is about creating a remarkable health experience that frees people to be their best. So at its core, I'm still very much a problem solver in what I do.

Well, when you say enablement, what does that mean? What are you doing in that area?

Yeah, so we pretty much wear a lot of hats, right? And we really go where the priority— if you look across the organization and we think about how do we position the company to help grow, We think about enablement or just all those different things that you can line up to help make sure that whether it's people, process, or technology, that you have the right readiness in place so that the organization can and is ready to adopt a new process, a new technology, a new process, a new partnership, so that you're Preparing it in a way that you're truly getting the adoption that you want to get and the business benefits you want to get from any type of initiative or strategy. So it could be something in terms of helping make sure that you have the right communications in place, that you're thinking through, you know, the different training needs that might be happening. How do we help make sure leaders are positioned in a way that they are effectively sponsoring engagements? And how do we help them be successful in their role as leaders in bringing the, people and teams along the way.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well, when I talk to people about our great friend, Deb Rice Johnson, who, by the way, everyone, just received the Dream Maker Award. Actually, she will be the only one anywhere in the world that Bender gave this award to, the Bender Leadership Academy. And that is because of her. I was able to start the Bender Leadership Academy, helping high school students with disabilities prepare them for the world of work and how to fight bullying. In addition to that, 5 years ago when I lost Mary Brocker, who everyone knows I was extremely close to, and she was the president and died. In a terrible hiking accident, you know who the first person was to keep calling me to say a prayer? Deb Reich Johnson. I mean, that's just who she is. She is like that. But people ask me, Joyce, frequently they'll say, I don't understand diversified businesses. Even people I talk to sometimes at Highmark, they don't understand what all the diversified businesses are or what that means. So I want you to explain that to our listeners, what they are, what they do, and start with what's it like? What have you learned from Deb Reich Johnson?

Let me start with the hard one first, right? I am so incredibly fortunate to work alongside Deb Reich Johnson. She is— and I think I talked about her the first time I was with you— she is so incredibly inspiring. Leader and such a model, right? Really, she's a leader with heart, right? She really is. So she doesn't just have vision and the foresight into how to mobilize teams and get them rallied around a cause and a purpose, right? She sets a goal and she goes out and she achieves it. But she also has incredible heart along with it and really cares about this company so much and cares about the people who work here and our members that service. You just see that in everything that she does. It's incredibly inspiring and I learn from her every day. So that, that's Deb. So she is our fearless leader of our diversified businesses. She is the CEO of the Diversified Businesses at Highmark and also the Chief Growth Officer for the organization as a whole. When we talk about diversified businesses, essentially it's about our portfolio of companies and services that extend beyond traditional health insurance. So I know people think about Highmark, they think about the Blue Cross and the Blue Shield and the fact that we provide health insurance across Delaware, West Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania. You know, we have that footprint across our Blues and are an important part of the Blues footprint nationally. But we also have these businesses that kind of extend beyond that traditional health insurance. So these are the engines that help drive additional revenue and health solutions. You know, think about kind of the integrated health solutions that are needed to better serve our members, our communities, and help We connect health organizations with innovative partners, products, technologies. I'll try to put it into something more tangible that people can understand by just walking through a couple examples. So a few of them include our dental company. So United Concordia Dental, it is the 7th largest dental carrier in the nation. We serve over more than 11 million members. And that is— Wow. Truly, it's substantial. And you think about it also includes, you know, our government's active duty military personnel and their families that are stationed worldwide. So you think about the impact that we have. It's not just in those 4 core states, right? But really it's that national solutions that we offer. HM Insurance Group is another national company and diversified business within Highmark's portfolio. It provides stop-loss solutions for self-funded employers, which in other words really means about helping to protect companies that self-fund their employee health insurance costs from those high-dollar claims, right, that otherwise would be catastrophic. So it helps limit their risk and provide them a solution where they can control costs for their employer—

employees.

And NGINN is another example. It is a health tech, health solutions company. It provides technology services to health plans worldwide. So it's really about our diversified businesses kind of cross and think about they're so important because they help not only diversify earnings, which help us weather market fluctuations, but they provide revenue and earnings that helps drive additional growth that help us to reduce costs. Think about improving health outcomes, and really make us even more attractive to other health plans, right, that we partner with, which is so part of our portfolio.

Oh, wow. I mean, you know what, Joyce, I remember when United Concordia was very little. I remember when they were small. Look now what's happened. Yeah. Yeah. Isn't that something though? Wow, that is, that is amazing. And so many other areas. You're right, when people think of Highmark, they don't even think about the, all the hospitals.

That's right.

You know, yeah, they don't even think about that part. But, uh, that's why they are the third largest insurer in the United States. Wow. So my question, why, why do you think Highmark has become so successful? Because once again, I remember it was Blue Cross of Western PA. Yeah, because I remember way, way back in time. Why do you think it— and what do you think are some of the inherent values?

I have to say, first and foremost, it's our partnership mindset. So We genuinely believe that we need to create joint value with other partners, understanding that oftentimes, you know, when we look to partner with other Blues plans in particular, so if you think about our history, when you were saying, you know, we first started as a much smaller plan, right, in Western Pennsylvania, and then combined with, with, I think it was with the shield, right, of Central Pennsylvania and together became Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. We've since grown, right? We've expanded by affiliating with the Blue Cross Blue Shield of West Virginia, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware. In 2021, we affiliated with HealthNow, which was located in New York. And now we're very excited to say it was actually just this past December that Highmark, we have plans, you know, pending regulatory approval, but we plan to affiliate with the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City, which is significant. So together with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, we will become the third largest Blue Cross Blue Shield plan in the US, which is to your point, very significant, right? And it's an important part of how we help how we help tackle, you know, and create the scale that's needed to keep costs down, to make sure that we can continue to focus on, you know, innovative solutions that help address health outcomes and keep people healthier. But, you know, going back to the values, partnership mindset is absolutely number one. The second one I would say is, you know, just that we recognize that healthcare is best when it's delivered locally. So when we partner with, you know, the Delaware, West Virginia, New York, and Kansas City plans, we really recognize that, you know, as much as it's about having nationally recognized capabilities and leading solutions, having that commitment that's very real and very core to who we are where people in those communities where people live, work, play is so essential to that making us successful. And that's something that we really try very hard to make sure that, that is something that commitments we make to employment in those areas, right? These are our neighbors. So that's a really important part of it. And then the last thing I'll say is, you know, we do purposefully when we look for partners, We look for partners purposefully who are like-minded and have the same kind of mission-driven, you know, we have a bold mission at Highmark, as I mentioned, right? Creating those remarkable experiences that free people to be their best. So how do we drive those solutions that lead to healthier outcomes? And really, we want partners that share in that goal and that mindset. So that's the other part that I think that's really helped us to be successful.

Yeah, well, that, that's very obvious. Such a great, such great leadership there. Joyce, what, what is a Chief Growth Officer? What is that?

Yeah, so that's about really helping us grow our, grow scale and our footprint and our revenue across the organization. So when we talked about, it's not just within and across our health plan, right? So the fact that we have this affiliate network, affiliation with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City is really significant. Deb Rice-Johnson was absolutely the driver behind helping to make that happen from the very beginning, right, to the very end. She's been crucial to that. We also look to, you know, on our provider side, right, we haven't— we announced that we are pending approval again that we have plans to affiliate Ahn plans to affiliate with the Heritage Valley Health System, right? And really strengthen our provider and delivery assets. So it's really about trying to seek out those partnerships. How do we unlock value and kind of create joint value for organizations so that we all can prosper?

Yeah, I mean, it's so wonderful. And by the way, Highmark of Delaware is where we teach one of the Bender Leadership Academy classes, and they are awesome. They are great. And then of course we have a class at Highmark Pittsburgh Public Schools in Delaware, you know, the Delaware school districts. And that's just how Highmark is. I mean, You know, I can never speak highly enough of this company. But the one thing I wanted to ask you that— wow, it's a hard question. Um, you have seen, especially with your consulting background, so many changes in the healthcare world. What do you think are going to be the biggest impacts coming over the next several years?

Yeah, that's a great question and a big one. And we all know healthcare is ever evolving, right? You have stuff that's going on with technologies, new technologies. You have regulatory pressures that are coming in. It's constantly changing. And we've certainly seen tremendous shifts. I mean, when you think back before COVID I know we were trying to do, you know, telemedicine, it was always, or, you know, getting people to log in and access, you know, their claims from their phones. Now it seems like that adoption, right, of those digital health technologies have just skyrocketed. And I think it's going to continue to skyrocket. So things like telemedicine, you know, AI, remote monitoring, how we personalize medicine, they're not just conveniences anymore. I think they're fundamentally reshaping how care is delivered. And it's making it more accessible and proactive. And we need to find ways that we can tailor it to individual needs. So I think that's one of the biggest things that's changing ever, ever fast. It's constantly moving at lightning speed. Another thing I would say is I have seen, you know, an increased focus, right, on how you think about health. So moving beyond treating traditional, like, illness and understanding and addressing some of the environmental, social, economic factors that impact a person's well-being. So taking a more holistic approach to health and those social determinants. To really help create healthier populations has been a bigger focus. And then finally, the other big trend I'll mention, I think, is just a continued emphasis on how we provide integrated care models. So this is precisely something that Highmark is very much trying to pioneer with our, I'll call blended health strategy, where we think about breaking down the silos between a traditional health insurance payer and a health provider wider delivery system, and how do we truly coordinate care in a way that it's more about prevention, right? And helping people to live those healthier outcomes and creating more efficient systems, right, that we can make all these forces, right, to help us think about how we provide care in a way that's more personalized, preventive, and equitable.

Right. I remember, Joyce Bender, when, as you said, the telehealth was already starting on a smaller scale and then COVID. And all of a sudden it soared and it just never stopped. That's right. I mean, and you know what? Think about this epilepsy. You can't drive a car. You have to wait till you have someone that takes you to an appointment. Now you can talk to your epileptologist and not worry about the transportation. And for people with mental health issues, it's hard getting sometimes them to the hospital because of dealing with the stigma, you know, everyone's seeing you. And here we go, having that one-on-one digital health makes such an incredible difference. I mean, weren't you surprised how much this took off?

I remember having conversations. I worked— before working with Deb, I had worked in our government programs team working on our Medicare Advantage products, working with seniors. And I remember being in discussions and being like, we'll never get seniors to to log on to their app on the phone, or we'll never get them to access their claims online. And I mean, it is a new world. Like, people are much more savvy than they've ever been. And I think they want things at their fingertips. And I would say it changes a lot, even in terms of how they engage and interact with their providers and with their insurance companies. You know, they just— it's so important to be able to have things that are more personalized type of experiences that you're helping people navigate and really being there to engage with them differently.

Yeah, right. I mean, I just— I think it is phenomenal how all of that has happened. Now, I was selected as an ambassador for the University of Pittsburgh School of Business as it relates to health to be one of the ambassadors, basically, you know, just working as a representative in this health business perspective. One of the things at one session I went to was all AI. All about AI. And you know what's amazing is that who knows, this could lead to a cure for some illness or some disease. AI, because you're putting all this data in and it's just churning, churning, churning, looking how can it improve that. And wouldn't that be amazing?

Joyce Bender, truly. I mean, I think there's so much advancement. You think about within the pharmaceutical space, right? And how, and certainly, we believe at Highmark, right, that having access to the right drugs is so critical, right? These drugs no more are just about managing symptoms. Like some of them truly are positioned to be more curative and we have to find ways, right, to, to leverage the data that we have to help provide insights that help us to connect and really connect back with what we have access to as an insurer, right, to be able to connect that information and learnings we have with our providers, right, so that they have this information, right, to help change their practices and how they prescribe. We have the power to do that, which is really exciting.

Yeah, because I was talking to Karen Hanlon, the president at Highmark, saying that, you know, the day will come, probably not long off into the future, that with AI you could look at the person's DNA and say, okay, wait, they have a propensity for breast cancer, or they have a propensity for epilepsy. I mean, that will be so wonderful.

Awesome.

I mean, that would be so wonderful.

So I think that is in our future. It really— I do.

Well, we got a lot to talk about yet, but first it is time for our news break on the half hour. Mathis on the mic with our news for the day. Hello, Jennifer Mathis. Hi. Good to be here. How are you? Good. Ah, and how's that weather in Washington, D.C. today?

It's unseasonably warm.

Is it? Alarmingly warm. Yes. Don't get your hopes up. It's like that here in Pittsburgh. But I saw that sometime next week the low could be 29. There's a chance there could be snow. So you know how March is, up and down, up and down. You never know what's going to happen. And Jennifer Joy who's an executive at Highmark, hires people with disabilities. So that is where the rubber meets the road. Because Jennifer, you know, you are highly esteemed, uh, media— New York Times, Washington Post— talking about mental health issues, but with all disabilities. Would you not agree that employment is an issue that has not been solved?

Absolutely. Senator Harkin always used to say it was the one part of the ADA where we really made so little progress and had such a long way to go. And that remains true.

So that is why, Joyce Bender, You are making a difference every day. Well, Jennifer, once again, every day I'll watch— I'll be watching CNN and I'll say on Monday night, what the heck could Jennifer pick to talk about? But I know there are some major things happening. So, Jennifer, what news do you have? Yes.

So I have an update from last week because last week we talked about Minnesota and the action that the federal government was taking against Minnesota to freeze $250 million in Medicaid funding for things like home and community-based services, community mental health services, personal care services, things that people with disabilities and older adults really depend on every day and that are just critically, critically important services to people's lives. And Minnesota had filed a suit against CMS, against the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, saying essentially, you have told us almost nothing about what you expect, about what where you think this fraud is. Um, that was the reason for the freezing of, uh, this enormous amount of money that went really across the board in, uh, for all services in these categories of services where the government was saying, we think there is, um, a high vulnerability to fraud here. It was somewhat unprecedented for the government to freeze that amount of funding. And at least according to Minnesota, they have gotten very, very little guidance about what it is that the government still expects them to do. They did a lot of things in response to the government's initial notices and said that the government hasn't told them even, you know, what is insufficient about what they did and yet just proceeded immediately to freeze this money. So last week we talked about, you know, how This might happen in other states as well. This is part of a government initiative to root out fraud, waste, and abuse. And since then, it has turned out we have learned that the government actually, uh, both CMS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and also the majority on the, um, House Energy and Commerce Committee have sent letters. Um, House Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters to 10 states a week ago today, March 3rd, um, claiming that they are concerned about fraud, waste, and abuse in their Medicaid programs. Again, focusing heavily on home and community-based services, personal care services, non-emergency medical transportation, um, community behavioral health services, and claiming Widespread fraud, waste, and abuse, asking for enormous, enormous amounts of data and analysis and basically not having a lot of evidence of fraud, but kind of pointing to vulnerable areas. In some cases pointing to an isolated instance of fraud that may have happened. One happened in 2018, for example, and then one happened last year and saying because of that, we're concerned about the entire category of services. So for example, CMS sent a letter to New York and one of the things they talk about is behavioral health psychotherapy codes, 30-minute sessions, 45-minute sessions together accounted for more than $2.5 billion in total statewide payments over 3 years from 2023. Well, it's unclear, 2023 to 2025. So maybe 2, maybe 3. But they say the magnitude of the utilization of these services warrants additional scrutiny of documentation, medical necessity determinations, encounter validation, et cetera. And so they are pointing to services that people are using a lot and saying, we are concerned that there is very high use of these services. They also say that for personal care services, they point to the number of claims, that there's a lot of claims, and they basically say because of the claim volume and the high proportion of beneficiaries receiving these services, and the fact that these services are billed in 15-minute increments for personal care, that all of those things together make us think that there is widespread fraud. And that's a pretty thin reason to suggest widespread fraud, waste, and abuse. Typically, the government would have a lot more information if it was going to level these types of accusations. But in any event, this is what is happening. And I think the concern is that what might— what happened in Minnesota may happen in a lot of other states, that you will see freezing of Medicaid services, of federal reimbursement for Medicaid services across the board for services that serve people with disabilities and older adults in their communities, in their homes on a daily basis that are necessary for them to survive and You know, this is proceeding without the kind of process that ordinarily would happen in these situations. And so very concerning. And I think, you know, it is important for people to let their congressional representatives know just how important these services are to them, because I'm not sure that it is so clear. To all of the people in Congress what these services are and what they mean to people's lives and how people use them and what will happen if people don't get these services. So I think to the extent that people are getting these services on Medicaid, it is useful, I think, to let your representative know that you are concerned about these actions that are being taken. I will say the 10 states that got letters from the House Energy and Commerce Committee are New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Maine, Colorado, Washington State, Massachusetts, California, and Nebraska. And so in those states in particular, I think it is useful for people to contact your representatives.

You said Pennsylvania?

Yes.

Terrible. All of this is terrible. So listeners, you're my secret weapon. In other cases, uh, Jennifer, and even way before that with Perry, we would say call, call, and we would get all these people calling. You've got to call your representative. Doesn't matter if you're in Minnesota or not. Now, if you're in Minnesota Absolutely. You've got to call and get other people to call to say, don't do this, stop this. Then in all these other states, we got to start calling now because think what that would do to people. Uh, so many areas. Oh my goodness. Like the community-based services, so many things. So I want all of you I mean it, get off the show when you're done, call, start calling. Jennifer, is there— I assume there's a big national disability banding together.

There is, and there have been letters sent to Congress. There have been letters sent to the agency, to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. There have been letters sent to the oversight committees in Congress and to the leadership in both houses of Congress. And, you know, people are trying to explain how important these services are. Of course, nobody thinks that fraud, waste, and abuse should happen, and nobody is encouraging fraud, waste, and abuse. But to take the kinds of actions that are being taken on the scale that they're being taken at the pace that they're being taken without the kind of evidence that ordinarily would be needed to support that kind of across-the-board freezing is very, very troubling. And in, in the other states, we haven't seen the across-the-board freezing at this point, but it is clear that that is, you know, certainly on the table given what has happened in Minnesota and given, um, sort of that These things seem to be following along the same path. And so it is important that people make it known how important.

Well, you know what else? You get this show with joy today. Share this with other people because then they're going to hear the news also. Jennifer, thank you so much. Keep encouraging us. You know, keep being that advocate you are and let us know next week what has happened.

Will do.

Thank you. All right. Bye. Thank you. Bye-bye. You know what, Joyce? It's always something. Wow. There is always, and you won't know what it's like till it hits you. But when it hits you, then you'll know, oh my goodness, this is terrible. Back to the great news with you of hiring people. My question. Is 70% of people with disabilities, 70%, are still not counted in the workforce. Yet Highmark hires all these people. So why do you think that is? I mean, why is it so different at Highmark? Yeah.

The question of why it's so hard for other companies, right? Is a complex one, but I will say from Highmark's perspective, I think our openness to hiring people with disabilities, it's not just about altruism, right? It's really fundamental to our success and has been deeply embedded in our organizational culture because we know it works and it's— we firmly believe it's a strategic business imperative. We must do this. And we see that demonstrated by our leadership, right, from David Holmberg to Karen Hanlon to Deb Race-Johnson and many, many others. But we've made a very intentional executive-level commitment to making sure that people with disabilities have meaningful employment opportunities at Highmark. So it's not just a program. I think it's part of our DNA. We recognize that to truly deliver on our mission, right, to create remarkable experiences that free people to be their best. You'll hear me keep saying that because I do think it's the core to who we are and it's foundational. It translates into everything we do at Highmark. But, you know, our workforce then must reflect those diverse members and communities that we serve. And I think, you know, employees with disabilities, we know this, right, often bring kind of an unparalleled problem-solving skills, resilience, all these unique insights that they gain because they're navigating this world that wasn't always built for them. So having those perspectives only enriches our teams. It helps spark innovation and ultimately allows us to create that better, better products, services, and experiences, right, for everybody. So truly, if you go back back to it's a business imperative. We're better because of it. So it's a mutual benefit. We gain incredible talent and individuals gain meaningful employment opportunities to thrive. I know for me personally, you know, I get behind it too because, you know, I talked before, my mother, you know, she navigated this world with MS. She went back into the workforce. It was so important and crucial for our family growing up. We didn't have a lot of means. So her going back into the workforce after my youngest sister went back to school was so key. So I knew what it meant for our family and our families, you know, it helped and just the opportunities that afforded us because of it, right? So I know how important it is on both sides, but it really is an honor to be able to work for an organization that recognizes that, that values it, and prioritizes it. And, you know, definitely want to say, Joyce, it's been a pleasure working with you. And, you know, the talent that you bring to us and the individuals you bring to us is so important to what we do.

Well, thank you. It goes both ways, let me say that. And I'm glad you explained it, Joy, because hiring a person with a disability, yes, It's the right thing to do, but it's a business investment. You know, the person has to be right for the job. You're hiring a person as a business investment. For example, I took one day when David Holmberg was at Highmark and I was there. We brought in one of the people that Highmark had hired. He's in a wheelchair and he was visiting up from Indianapolis because he works remote for InGen. And he told David, he said— and David Holmberg, remember everyone, he's the CEO of all of Highmark, all 44,000 people or however many it is. But he told David, oh yes, I was crossing the street and a cab hit my— hit me, and the wheelchair went flying, uh, and it broke my wheelchair. But in addition to that, I had all these lacerations. And David said, wait, wait, wait, are you okay? Yes, I am. No, but what had happened then? He said, oh, I called Uber to go to the hospital. And David said, no, don't do that. He said, I thought they would get me there faster. But anyway, He has cerebral palsy. He uses a wheelchair. He's one of the top employees, you know, at InGen. And he said, so I called Bender Consulting and I say, bad news, but good news. Bad news, I got hit by a car. Good news, I'm only missing one day of work. And David said, that's That says it all. And I could be on here all day giving stories like this, but I hear all the time about how great the employees are and what they do, but it's a business investment. Retention, that's just one example. I mean, there are so many examples that you could get gratitude. People that hire— Accenture did a study and found out that companies that hire people with disabilities are 2 times more profitable than those that do not. So I'm glad you explained it that way because that is true. So, Joyce, you have— wow, you've really moved up there at Highmark. But over the past several years, what would you consider your greatest accomplishment?

So you asked me this question last time, and I really believe ultimately there is no greater accomplishment as a leader than being able to see the employees that you hire, right, how they develop and thrive and succeed in their own careers. To me, that is what, what I get, um, great joy from. I really do. As a leader, I think there, there's nothing there's nothing better than seeing your employees that you, you know, work with thrive and develop in their own right. And I would say for me, right, it's not always about the big stuff. It's sometimes it's about really connecting to what drives you each day and what brings you joy and fulfillment. And I will say for me, it's when I have the opportunity to know when I can uniquely add value right, every day. So I've learned over the years a little bit about myself. Um, it's taken time, right? But I've, I've come to learn, you know, I'm a connector. I'm good at helping an organization like connect the dots between— whether that's between initiatives, ensuring the right people are engaged from the onset of programs, um, and making sure that, you know, taking— there's a lot of things that are coming at people on a daily basis So when you're able to kind of take those dots and connect them in a way that's meaningful for people to help them understand, to get them bought into whatever you're trying to get them to do differently in a way, right, that you know is going to bring and deliver the maximum results to me, that's those— anytime I get those opportunities, it's something I feel really proud of. So when we talked earlier about, you know, this partnership with BlueKC, the fact that I was able to be and play even a little bit a part of that was incredibly meaningful for me and feels like a great accomplishment because, you know, how we were able to help tell our story of why Highmark and help them, you know, get to a point where they decided, no, they want to be our partners in this journey to help reinvent health. To me, it's just really meaningful.

Oh, that is so— well, that just shows what you're like. You know where I just happen to have it right here. Yes, here it is. This is you. Servant leadership. That's you, Joyce Bender. Thank you. That's you. Um, okay, so for any young people with disabilities, which you saw many, you saw a few of them speak at the event for Deb Rice Johnson, what message would you like them to hear from you today?

So for all the young people and, you know, others, truly my message would be this: your journey, your experiences, your unique perspectives, they're not limitations. They're truly your superpowers. They give you a unique perspective and a lens of the world, right, that you can bring to the workplace. And you think about the resilience you bring, the creativity you have to bring, the problem solving, all that that's forged by you navigating through this world, right? Is something that, again, it becomes your superpower. So don't let anybody diminish that. I would say embrace your strengths, cultivate those talents, never stop learning. You know, the world of work and society at large are constantly and rapidly evolving. We talked about, you know, the dynamic nature of healthcare in itself, and there's going to be an increasing demand for diverse thinkers and innovators. So you have so much to offer. So I say believe in yourself, pursue your passions with courage, and, you know, realize and know that your contributions are not just welcome, but they're essential. They're essential. They're truly essential. So go out there and show the world what you can do. That's what I would say.

What a great message. Well, Joyce, first of all, thank you so much for being with us today. Thank you for being you. Keep on changing the world with your great leadership. You know, I just think so highly of you. We all do. So thank you. For joining us today.

Thank you for having me, and thank you for being a champion.

We love you. All right. Well, as I said, I got a great partner. So we end every show with a quote, and today it is, "Have a heart that never hardens and a temper that never tires and a touch that never hurts," said Charles Dickens. This is Joyce Bender, America's Voice, where disability matters at voiceamerica.com. Remember, in the words of Mary Brooker, when you go out tomorrow, choose joy, and I assure you it'll be so much better. Talk to you all next week.

Voice America would like to thank you for tuning in. Please join us next Tuesday at 11 AM Pacific time and 2 PM Eastern time for another installment of Disability Matters, right here on the Voice America variety channel. We are the leader in live internet talk radio. VoiceAmerica.com.