[Webinar] Value-Based Care: Actuarial and Contracting Dimensions
2026-01-20 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom
[Webinar] Value-Based Care: Actuarial and Contracting Dimensions
When: January 20, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (CT)
FREE for everyone
Join us for the second webinar in our series exploring whether new payment and care models can work in the dental sector. Actuaries from Milliman and a healthcare contracting attorney from Epstein Becker Green will walk through the financial and legal considerations behind these approaches. Although dental differs from medical, the past decade of experimentation and growth on the medical side offers valuable lessons. This webinar will outline the core financial assumptions underlying value-based models, explain how provider contracts may differ from traditional fee-for-service arrangements, and address the key challenges dental plans and providers may encounter when adopting these models. Participants will gain a practical understanding of how these frameworks could function in dental and what it takes to build sustainable, compliant programs.

Joanne Fontana, FSA, MAAA
Principal and Consulting Actuary at Milliman

Joanne has consulted for insurance companies, including many major dental carriers, as well as employers, government entities, and other organizations. Her focus has been largely on managed care and dental insurance, with experience in premium rate development, product development, provider contract analysis, and health care reform. Over the past decade, Joanne has come to be known as an industry expert in dental product and pricing topics; she regularly presents on dental-related issues at industry forums and has authored many topical articles. Joanne has worked closely with the National Association of Dental Plans, the California Association of Dental Plans, the American Dental Association, and other dental clients to assess the impact of health care reform on the dental industry. She manages Milliman’s Dental Actuarial Analytics PPO Network Study, a product that uses a vast contributor database of dental claims to provide competitive insights on dental network discounts and utilization to study participants. Joanne has worked with carriers and employer groups on the dental insurance procurement process. She has worked on Medicaid dental procurements with both state entities and bidders and has done core actuarial dental pricing and underwriting work for many carriers in the commercial, ACA, and Medicare Advantage dental markets. In addition to Joanne’s dental consulting, she also manages Milliman’s GASBhelp.com, an online tool allowing small government entities to complete valuations of post-retirement health benefits. Prior to joining Milliman, Joanne spent more than 10 years as an actuary with Cigna, where she held various healthcare financial leadership roles, including chief actuary of Cigna’s dental insurance business.

Simon J. Moody, FSA, MAAA
Principal and Consulting Actuary at Milliman
Simon is a principal and consulting Actuary based out of the Milwaukee office of Milliman, Inc. He has over 30 years of experience in the global healthcare industry. Originally from the United Kingdom, Simon transferred from Milliman’s London health practice to Milwaukee in November 2012. He has been actively focused on the United States healthcare industry for the past 13 years. Simon provides actuarial and strategic consulting services and advice to multiple stakeholders, including health plans, health systems, primary and specialty care practices, accountable care organizations, and healthcare investors. Simon is an expert in value-based care contracting. He has significant experience working with providers and payers in the design, evaluation, audit, and performance monitoring of various population-based reimbursement agreements. He also works with several health systems and ACOs to design and implement internal distribution models. Simon also leads the development and certification of Medicare Advantage bids for several MA health plans, including regional provider-owned health plans. His work with MA health plans extends to assisting with product and market strategy. Working extensively with both providers and MA health plans, Simon has deep expertise in understanding reimbursement, risk adjustment, population health, quality and outcome measures, and more generally, the key levers for success.

Christine Burke Worthen, LLM, JD, BA
Attorney at Epstein Becker Green
Christine is a nationally recognized health care attorney known for guiding providers, payers, digital health innovators, and investors through the complex regulatory and business challenges shaping today’s health care landscape. With deep experience across reimbursement, managed care, and value-based payment reform, she helps organizations design strategies that support both immediate operational needs and long-term transformation goals. Christine advises clients across the full health care ecosystem, including health systems, hospitals, physician groups, behavioral health providers, digital health companies, post-acute care organizations, third-party administrators, and health plans. Her work spans Medicare reimbursement and Medicare Advantage, managed Medicaid, CMS Innovation Center models, risk-based contracting, price transparency, revenue cycle, payment integrity, clinically integrated networks, value-based enterprise development, risk adjustment, and provider compensation structures. She helps clients navigate emerging payment environments and build sustainable reimbursement and network strategies tailored to their markets. New entrants to the health care market frequently rely on Christine to develop compliant care delivery and reimbursement models across brick-and-mortar, home-based, and virtual settings. She also works closely with investors, offering regulatory due diligence and identifying payer-contracting opportunities to support financial performance and growth. Her background includes advising on licensing, mental health parity compliance, fraud and abuse considerations, HIPAA/Part 2, and payer disputes. Christine’s practice also extends to ERISA matters. She counsels employers on retirement plans and self-insured and fully insured welfare benefit plans, and has represented clients in audits conducted by the IRS and the U.S. Department of Labor. Throughout her career, Christine has held senior leadership roles within health law practices. Before joining Epstein Becker Green, she served as Vice President and Senior Counsel at a Maine health system and previously chaired a regional law firm’s Healthcare Services Practice Group. Her broad industry perspective allows her to support clients in designing practical, innovative solutions to payment reform, managed care strategy, and network development. Christine’s professional involvement reflects her commitment to advancing the field. She has served in multiple leadership roles within the American Bar Association and the American Health Law Association, including vice chair and chair positions across employee benefits, delivery and payment reform, and payer and managed care groups. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Portland Recovery Community Center. Christine holds an LL.M. in Taxation from Boston University School of Law, a J.D. from New England Law Boston, and a B.A., cum laude, from Boston University. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and before the U.S. Tax Court.

2026 Leadership Conference
2026-01-26 - 2026-01-28 | Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites on Sand Key, 1201 Gulf Boulevard, Clearwater Beach, FL, 33767, United States
The annual NADP Leadership Conference is a members-only event. This conference provides opportunities to increase your leadership skills as you join with colleagues to provide direction for NADP programs and services while gaining insight and new perspectives on timely topics in the educational sessions. Leadership Conference brings together all of the NADP volunteer groups to share a vision of where the dental benefits industry and association are going over the coming year. Generally held in the winter, Leadership Conferences are traditionally face-to-face meetings.
Join Us at the 2026 Leadership Conference
Are you ready for a members-only event that combines the power of leadership with the excitement of a presidential election year? Look no further because the 2025 Leadership Conference in Clearwater Beach, Florida is here to offer you an unforgettable experience.
Mark Your Calendar:
January 26-28, 2026
Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites on Sand Key
Be a part of this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the dynamic world of volunteer leadership, politics, and advocacy for the dental benefits industry.
Join us for this exceptional opportunity to elevate your leadership skills and deepen your political knowledge at the NADP 2026 Leadership Conference. Together, we will make an impact, shape the future, and emerge as true leaders in the industry.
