Pankhuri Sharma, Strategy and Operations Leader at Humana

In this episode of Becker's Healthcare Payer Podcast, Scott King interviews Pankhari Sharma, Strategy and Operations Leader at Humana, about the evolving landscape of population health management. Sharma highlights that while health plans have made significant progress in identifying at-risk members and deploying care programs, the biggest remaining challenge lies in driving real-world behavior change. She emphasizes that even when the right interventions are identified, members often face practical barriers like transportation, work schedules, and caregiving responsibilities, making engagement and adherence difficult. Data plays a critical role in timing interventions effectively, but delays in data availability—especially with claims data—can reduce the impact of timely care. Operational challenges include fragmented data systems and poor coordination across health plans, providers, and vendors. Sharma advocates for deeper clinical alignment with providers and more thoughtful, personalized engagement strategies that meet members in their daily lives. She stresses that success in population health hinges on empowering members to take ownership of their health, with health plans serving as enablers rather than dictators of care. Looking ahead, she calls for improved timeliness of interventions, better ecosystem coordination, and more member-centered engagement strategies. Key takeaways include: 1) Real-world behavior change remains the biggest hurdle in population health; 2) Timely, data-driven interventions are essential for influencing outcomes; 3) Operational alignment with providers and internal teams is critical; 4) Technology should support, not disrupt, members’ daily lives; 5) Members must feel like they’re in the driver’s seat of their health journey; 6) Effective leaders must bridge legacy systems with innovation; 7) Personalization and trust are key to successful member engagement; 8) Value-based care models must be supported by operational integration, not just financial alignment. The conversation underscores a shift from reactive care to proactive, human-centered health management.