What They’re Watching: Sarah Summer

Sarah Summer is one of the most well plugged in, smartest folks working at the nexus of health care operations and policy in California.

Previously, she worked with Blue Shield and some of the California health plans to address cost and utilization pressures from “inappropriate third party payments.” Her comments on the topic were made over a decade ago, and resonated for years at both the state and federal levels.

Now, in this edition of “What They’re Watching,” Summer continues to highlight how providers are finding success “gaming” the system to draw down higher payments. She sees the good intentions driving policy, and some times the unintended consequences that can arise as a result.