Why More Risk Isn't Enough: What Health Plans Are Changing in VBC

A risk contract can look strong on paper, but what happens when health plans and providers are working from different data, measuring success differently, or investing in interventions that aren't producing results?

Leaders from Florida Blue, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Healthfirst, and Arbital Health share practical approaches to making VBC work, from designing fairer risk arrangements and supporting independent practices to finding high-performing providers and scaling what they're doing differently.

What You'll Learn

• Build partnerships that support real risk: Learn how Florida Blue approaches transparency, provider readiness, and shared investment before expecting deeper financial accountability

• Measure performance fairly: See how BCBSMA uses network-wide trends to distinguish provider performance from market shifts, including the impact of COVID and rising drug costs

• Bring smaller practices into VBC: Discover how BCBSMA redesigned its model to support independent practices with as few as 1,000 attributed members, down from 10,000

• Put incentives where they make a difference: Hear how Healthfirst tailors arrangements to different provider organizations and engages community pharmacists to improve medication adherence

• Find and replicate your network's bright spots: Learn how identifying what high-performing practices do differently can help reduce avoidable utilization and improve performance across the network

• Make smarter investment and care-management decisions: Explore how shared financial data, better risk insights, and more precise patient targeting help plans and providers focus resources where they matter most

• Rethink where VBC goes next: Explore specialty-focused models, oncology risk arrangements, and why accountability may need to extend beyond primary care

Featured Value-Based Care Leaders

• Rick Kohn, CFA, Vice President, Value-Based Care, Florida Blue

• Chris Lassonde, Vice President and Actuary, Provider Financial Management, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

• Deborah Hammond, MD, Vice President, Medical Director, Healthfirst

• Tim Smith, ASA, MAAA, MS, Chief Actuary, Arbital Health

Episode Resources: Episode Guide Explore the discussion topics and speaker perspectives. https://www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/10-29-26-Episode-Guide-What-Health-Plans-Are-Changing-in-Risk-ROI-and-Execution.docx.pdf

Key Insights Summary Review the most valuable examples, lessons, and actionable takeaways. https://www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/10-29-26-Key-Insights-Summary-KIS-Making-Value-Based-Care-Work-at-Scale.docx.pdf

Featured Resource: Mastering Value-Based Care: A Modern Infrastructure Playbook for Scaling Risk-Based Contracts

Arbital Health's value-based care playbook explores the infrastructure, financial visibility and operational capabilities that can help plans and providers manage risk-based arrangements more effectively.

The conversation also offers practical questions about transparent data, provider readiness and the performance signals that warrant intervention.

Topics covered include:

• Risk Contract Design

• Claims Data and Reconciliation

• Provider Readiness and Support

• Fair Performance Measurement

• Operational Opportunities for Improvement

• Specialty-Care Accountability

To request information about Arbital Health's value-based care resources, contact Jessica Tenzer at jtenzer@brightspotsventures.com.

About Arbital Health

Arbital Health combines actuarial expertise and technology to support health plans and providers in understanding and managing the financial performance of value-based care arrangements.

Learn more: arbitalhealth.com.

Connect With Arbital Health

To explore how Arbital Health can help your team manage value-based care performance, contact Jessica Tenzer at jtenzer@brightspotsventures.com.

Panelist Bios

https://www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com/events/making-value-based-care-work-at-scale-what-health-plans-are-changing-in-risk-roi-and-execution/

About Bright Spots in Healthcare

Bright Spots in Healthcare brings together health plan, health system and healthcare innovation leaders to share practical examples of what is working and how others can apply and scale those ideas.

Bright Spots Ventures creates healthcare content, executive communities, private peer discussions and go-to-market programs designed to accelerate meaningful change.

Learn more: https://www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com/

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