Encore! EP450: When Your Health Plan Is $9 Million in the Hole, Who Are You Going to Call? A CPA. And Tell Them to Bring Their Spreadsheets, With Marilyn Bartlett, CPA, CMA, CFM, CGMA
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Encore! EP450: When Your Health Plan Is $9 Million in the Hole, Who Are You Going to Call? A CPA. And Tell Them to Bring Their Spreadsheets, With Marilyn Bartlett, CPA, CMA, CFM, CGMA

35:04 Dec 18, 2025
About this episode
In this encore episode of 'Relentlessly Seeking Value,' host Stacey Richter revisits an inspiring conversation with Marilyn Bartlett, a CPA who transformed the State of Montana's employee health plan from a $9 million deficit to a $112 million surplus within three years.  Known for her fiscal discipline and patient-first approach, Marilyn shares her strategic steps, from identifying waste in the system and securing quick wins to negotiating better deals with hospitals and ensuring long-term success. She emphasizes the importance of assembling a strong team, maintaining transparency, and staying focused on the ultimate goal of creating real health value. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to drive meaningful change in the healthcare industry. === LINKS === ?  Show Notes with all mentioned links:   https://cc-lnk.com/EncoreEP450 ??  Enjoy this podcast? Subscribe to the free weekly newsletter: https://relentlesshealthvalue.com/join-the-relentless-tribe ?  Support the podcast with a small donation to the Tip Jar: https://relentlesshealthvalue.com/join-the-relentless-tribe ?  Listen on Apple Podcasts  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feed/id892082003?ls=1 ?  Listen on Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/show/6UjgzI7bScDrWvZEk2f46b ?  Subscribe to our YouTube channel   https://www.youtube.com/@RelentlessHealthValue === CONNECT WITH THE RHV TEAM === ? LinkedIn   https://www.linkedin.com/company/relentless-health-value/ ? Threads  https://www.threads.net/@relentlesshealthvalue/ ? Bluesky   https://bsky.app/profile/relentleshealth.bsky.social ? X   https://twitter.com/relentleshealth/ 07:09 What gave Marilyn the confidence to fix Montana's state health plan? 08:35 Why Marilyn knew she would have enough power to make the changes needed in Montana's state health plan. 09:35 What Marilyn achieved in her time as the administrator of the Montana State Employee Health Plan. 11:03 What were the "quick wins" Marilyn was able to achieve when she first took over as administrator? 17:55 EP453 with Claire Brockbank, which covers RFP in detail. 18:12 How Marilyn structured her plan for the Montana State Employee Health Plan. 21:42 What's the key to setting yourself up for success when doing what Marilyn was able to achieve?
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