From CMS to Optum: Amy Giardina on Fraud, Funding, and the Future of Medicare

In this episode of Former Fed Friday, host Shelley McGuire welcomes Amy Giardina, former Director at the CMS Division of Payment Models and now VP of Business Development at Optum. Amy brings a rich background from both the public and private sectors, having shaped bundled payment policy at CMS and led geriatric care at Johns Hopkins. Amy dives into the key healthcare priorities of the current administration—tackling fraud and abuse, increasing drug affordability, and improving beneficiary education and tools for care. She also shares valuable insights from her time at CMMI, discussing the success of the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) and the future of value-based care. Amy breaks down the complexities of payment model innovation and paints a powerful picture of how better coordination, access, and compassion can transform patient care—especially for our aging and disabled populations. To connect with Amy visit her on LinkedIn here. Learn more about Optum here. If you liked listening to this episode, view our Former Fed Perspectives page here. To view all of our podcast series, visit our podcast page.