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NORC at the University Chicago

Scott Leitz

Pronouns: He/Him

Vice President
Health Care Programs
Scott is a health policy expert with over 25 years working in and with states to improve their Medicaid programs, advance care delivery improvements, and improve health outcomes for state populations.

Scott is a vice president in the Health Care Programs department. He directs or has directed numerous projects conducted on behalf of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services at CMS, including the Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Payment Value-Based Payment and Financial Simulation project and the Medicaid Financial Oversight and Analysis Project. He also directed NORC’s work, funded through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to establish a Medicaid Managed Care Organization Learning Hub.

Prior to joining NORC, Scott served as CEO of MNsure, Minnesota’s state-based health insurance marketplace, where he oversaw its successful establishment and implementation. He has also served as Minnesota’s Medicaid Director and Assistant Commissioner for Health Care at the Minnesota Department of Human Services. In that role, he oversaw the establishment of Minnesota’s Integrated Health Partnership Program, a nation-leading Accountable Care Organization program. Earlier, he served as Assistant Commissioner for Health Policy at the Minnesota Department of Health where he had responsibility for the development, passage, and implementation of a series of health reform efforts in Minnesota, including the landmark 2008 health care reform law, elements of which were used as models for portions of the Affordable Care Act.

Project Contributions

Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program: Value-Based Payment & Financial Simulations

Technical support in designing, developing and implementing Medicaid value-based payment approaches

Client:

Center for Medicaid & CHIP Services, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Medicaid Financial Oversight Analysis

Improving the financial integrity of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program

Funder:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Medicaid Managed Care Organization Learning Hub

Working with insurance plans, providers, and patient advocates to improve Medicaid equity and outcomes

Client:

MolinaCares Accord

Alaska Healthcare Transformation Project

Producing a roadmap to reduce health care costs and improve health outcomes

Client:

Alaska Healthcare Transformation Project

Framework for Advancing Health Equity in Medicaid

Helping states improve health care for diverse populations

Funder:

NORC at the University of Chicago

Medicaid Maternal Care Model in Washington State

Policy guidance on improving maternal and infant health care

Client:

The Washington State Health Care Authority

Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstration Management and Evaluation

Ensuring states’ evaluations are scientifically valid and inform progress in meeting CMS goals

Client:

Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Race, Ethnicity, and Language Data Collection in Medicaid

Best practices in measuring race, ethnicity, and language of Medicaid beneficiaries by state

Funder:

NORC

Support for CDC’s 6|18 Initiative

Engaging state health agencies to adopt 6|18 Initiatives that improve population health

Client:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Supporting States’ Medicaid and Medicare Reform Efforts

Technical assistance and implementation support for CMS’s State Innovation Models Initiative

Client:

Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Publications

Research Library & Findings