Leadership change for Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning

Indiana Medicaid Director Allison Taylor will be resigning later this summer after serving eight years with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, including six years leading the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning through historic changes and events.

“Allison has led Medicaid through its most transformative time,” FSSA Secretary Dr. Dan Rusyniak said. “The positive impact she has made will benefit Hoosiers for decades to come. We will miss her.”

Taylor first served as general counsel of FSSA and then became Indiana Medicaid director in 2017. During her tenure, she was also selected among her peers nationwide to serve as president of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.

“Allison served with great distinction as president of the NAMD Board of Directors, elevating states’ best practices and liaising with federal partners,” said Kate McEvoy NAMD executive director.

“The Indiana Medicaid team is unlike any in this nation, moving mountains to serve Hoosiers, and I will enthusiastically work to ensure a smooth and successful transition,” Taylor said. “This work has been the honor of a lifetime.”

Among the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning’s achievements under Taylor’s leadership:

• Indiana received a first-of-its-kind 10-year renewal for the Healthy Indiana Plan
• A multi-pronged effort was launched to reform long-term services and supports founded on industry-leading Medicare integration
• Telehealth services were expanded for Hoosiers
• A Medicaid provider reimbursement rate matrix was established to ensure a sustainable, predictable reimbursement structure going forward
• Substance use disorder and serious mental illness treatments were expanded and a continuum built for better behavioral care delivery
• Indiana became a national leader in managed care alignment, compliance and oversight

“We focus every day on serving Hoosiers and helping them live their best lives, in fully integrated communities,” Taylor said. “During the pandemic, Medicaid flexed and did what it does best – served individuals and communities in need.”

The executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors commended Taylor’s service.

“Allison served with great distinction as president of the NAMD Board of Directors, elevating states’ best practices and liaising with federal partners,” Kate McEvoy said.

Dr. Rusyniak also announced that Cora Steinmetz will be the next director of Indiana Medicaid. Steinmetz and Taylor will work closely during the weeks ahead to ensure a smooth transition later this summer for employees and all initiatives underway.

“No leader is better positioned to continue this important work than Cora Steinmetz,” Dr. Rusyniak said. “Her knowledge of Medicaid finance, policy and regulation combined with her communication and team management skills will assure that the critical work we are doing seamlessly continues.”

Steinmetz has been Gov. Holcomb’s senior operations director for health-related state agencies, including FSSA, Department of Child Services and Indiana Department of Health, since 2021. She has been deeply involved in developing policy and strategy and guiding the state’s work related to the Governor’s Public Health Commission, the long-term services and supports reform, the delivery of mental health services and the evolution of early childhood learning services.

“I am deeply grateful for my time in Governor Holcomb’s office and the faith he and Dr. Rusyniak are placing in me as I move into the Medicaid director role,” Steinmetz said. “Over the last two years, I have been fortunate to work side-by-side with the Medicaid team and other agency leaders on a number of key health strategies and initiatives. This has given me a firsthand view of the incredible impact this team has on our state and I look forward to continuing the important work underway.”

Steinmetz, a licensed attorney, previously worked as a program director for government programs and revenue cycle compliance for Indiana University Health and was an attorney for the Indiana Department of Revenue and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. She is also a board member for Music for All, a national organization focused on music education.