2022 MAHP Summer Conference

Joseph Lentine, Jr.

Chair MAHP Summer Conference Committee, President DENCAP Dental Plans

DENCAP Dental Plans

• linkedin

Joe Lentine Jr. is carrying on his father's legacies as the President and Owner of DENCAP Dental Plan and Chair of the MAHP Summer Conference Planning Committee.

• 1:45 - 4:15 PM, July 12, 2022 Governors' AB

  Partner Showcase

Dominick Pallone

Executive Director

Michigan Association of Health Plans

• 8:25 - 9:00 AM, July 13, 2022 Governors' AB

  Welcome, President's Report and the State of MAHP

Anita Fox

Director of the Department of Insurance and Financial Services

Michigan Department of insurance and Financial Services

• facebook
• twitter
• linkedin

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed Anita G. Fox to her Cabinet as the Director of the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) in January 2019. Through its oversight of the insurance and financial services industries, DIFS protects consumers, enables efficient and effective regulation of key economic drivers, and positions the insurance and financial services sectors of Michigan's economy for growth.

Under her leadership, DIFS’ approximately 380 professionals work to protect Michigan consumers by ensuring that the industries they regulate are safe and sound, follow state and federal law, and are entitled to the public confidence.

Director Fox is also active in state and national organizations to ensure Michigan has a strong voice in policy decisions:

She holds several roles with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), including Executive Committee member; Health Insurance Committee chair; Special Committee on Race and Insurance member; and she was elected vice chair of the NAIC Midwest Zone, which includes regulators from 13 Midwest states.

She was appointed to the Policy Development Committee of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors, a member organization of insurance supervisors and regulators from more than 200 jurisdictions.

She is active in the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, the national organization for state-based banking regulators.

She is also active in the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors, the national organization for state-based credit union regulators.

Prior to her appointment, Director Fox practiced law in Washington D.C. and Michigan, managing complex litigation in federal and state courts and providing advice and counsel to individuals and businesses on a broad range of topics. She has lectured in the U.S. and abroad, in addition to teaching Insurance Law at Michigan State University College of Law. She was inducted into the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel and recognized by Lawyers' Weekly as a Women in the Law honoree. She has also served in a staff advisory role on several U.S. Presidential campaigns and was appointed by Governor Jennifer Granholm to serve as board member and legal counsel for several charitable foundations.

• 10:50 - 11:45 AM, July 13, 2022 Governors' AB

  A Conversation with Michigan's Leadership

Farah Hanley

Senior Chief Deputy Director for Health

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

• linkedin

Farah Hanley is the senior chief deputy director for health overseeing the department’s health care administration including Behavioral and Physical Health and Aging Services Administration and the MDHHS State Hospital Administration.

Between 2014 and 2022, Farah was MDHHS's senior deputy director of Financial Operations overseeing the agency's $32 billion budget and lead negotiator with the legislature on the department’s budget, 7,000 + contracts and grants, finance and accounting operations, federal and state audits, and information technology financial support services areas.

Farah also has served as a division director overseeing the MDCH budget within the State Budget Office. In this role, she assisted MDCH and the SBO in key decisions, including the development, passage, and implementation of the Healthy Michigan Plan. In addition, she served as a federal health and budget specialist supporting efforts for the federal marketplace in Michigan.

Prior to that, Farah served as a senior Medicaid consultant for The Medstat Group, now IBM, where she supported state Medicaid programs across the country on their IT analytics platform, assisting in the design of the system tailored to the needs of each Medicaid program.

In early January 2019, Governor Whitmer appointed Farah as MDHHS's acting director during the transition to a new administration.

• 10:50 - 11:45 AM, July 13, 2022 Governors' AB

  A Conversation with Michigan's Leadership

Curtis VanderWall

State Representative District 102

Michigan House

• facebook

Curt VanderWall was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in November 2016. He represented the 101st District, before being elected to the State Senate and representing 12 counties across Northern Michigan. He was reelected to the Michigan house in 2022 serving the 102nd district.

Rep. VanderWall completed courses at Grand Rapids Junior College for two years before moving on to the workforce. He is the owner of Turf Care Mole Man of Ludington. Prior to that, he worked much of his adult life with Eberhard foods and Prevo’s Family Market. He also served on the board of Old Kent Bank, the Mason County Growth Alliance Board, Northern Michigan Counties Association and the Mason County Housing Board.

Before being elected, Rep. VanderWall served as commissioner and chairman for the Mason County Board of Commissioners. He also served on the Western Michigan Fair Association for six years, was District Chair for MSU Extension and served on boards for the United Way of Mason County.

Curt is currently chair of the Women’s Jericho House Board. Curt and his wife Diane have been married for 39 years and have three children and two grandchildren. They are involved with Covenant Christian School in Ludington and attend Mason County Reformed Church, where Curt has served as a deacon.

• 1:30 - 2:45 PM, July 14, 2022 Governors' AB

  Michigan Legislative Panel, Moderated by Chad Livengood

James Gelfand

President and CEO

ERISA Industry Committee

• linkedin

James Gelfand is President & CEO of The ERISA Industry Committee. He works with ERIC members to develop and advance public policies to support their ability to design and administer health plans, including legislative and regulatory advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels.

James has broad experience across the health care policy spectrum, including insurance, coverage, quality, reimbursement, innovation, benefits, government programs, and many other related issues. He has served as a member of numerous quality and coverage groups, on the steering committee of various coalitions, and as a featured speaker at many conferences, panels, and summits.

James has significant media experience, having been featured in numerous television programs, major publications, and widely listened-to radio shows.

James comes to ERIC after leading a number of successful legislative initiatives as Director of Federal Affairs at the March of Dimes Foundation. Prior to this, he served as Associate Project Director for Luntz Global Partners, where he helped spearhead the firm’s political practice during the 2014 election. He also worked for four years on Capitol Hill, serving as counsel to Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) on the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee, and to Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) on the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee, covering health care and other Senate Finance Committee issues.

James served four years as a lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he directed the trade association’s health policy team throughout the health reform process. Prior to that, he was a lobbyist for ERIC, where he assisted in building a number of successful initiatives that are ongoing today.

James earned his J.D. at George Washington University Law School, and his undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Legal Studies at Northwestern University.

• 3:05 - 4:15 PM, July 14, 2022 Governors' AB

  General Session: Commercial and Medicare Advantage Panel

State Rep. Angela Witwer

State Representative (D-71)

Michigan House of Representatives

• facebook
• linkedin

State Rep. Angela Witwer is serving her third term representing the 76th House District, which includes much of Eaton County. She serves as chair of the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for setting expenditures for the state of Michigan, including making decisions on the state’s annual and supplemental budgets throughout the fiscal year.

An alumna of Waverly Community Schools, Witwer went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in business and marketing from Northwood University.

Witwer began her professional career in clinical health care, working first in Sparrow Hospital’s burn unit and later as the manager of pediatric rehabilitation. The desire to help others, coupled with her clinical expertise, propelled Witwer to become manager of Sparrow’s community relations and marketing department.
After 22 years working in health care, Witwer left Sparrow in 2007 to co-found Edge Partnerships, an award-winning public relations, marketing and advocacy group. During this time, she was a strong advocate for quality public education and community engagement, serving as the vice president of Waverly Community Schools Board of Education and was an active member of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Economic Club committee, the Wharton Center for Performing Arts Advisory Council, and the McLaren Greater Lansing Foundation Board of Directors.

Witwer lives in Delta Township with her husband, Bruce, and enjoys spending time with her children and granddaughters.

• 1:30 - 2:45 PM, July 14, 2022 Governors' AB

  Michigan Legislative Panel, Moderated by Chad Livengood