Beneficiary Incentives in Value-Based Care: What's Changed, What Works, What's Next

Wednesday, September 16, at 11:00 a.m. CST

Every major VBC model coming in 2026 and 2027—LEAD ACO, ACO REACH, MAHA ELEVATE, and more—makes room for beneficiary incentives. The safe harbor framework has caught up, but most of the industry conversation is still stuck on whether incentives are allowed.

That's the wrong question. The real one is how to design and run them so they move outcomes and hold up under audit.

In this session, WellRight's Senior Vice President of Enterprise Strategy and Government Programs, Charlie Zei, walks through what the regulation allows, what the evidence shows about ROI, and why engagement-and-rewards has become a distinct operational category most Medicare-native organizations haven't run before.

What You'll Take Away:

• What the safe harbor pathways actually enable and what most compliance teams get wrong
• The four places ROI shows up in an incentive program—and the one most organizations miss
• A framework for the build-versus-buy conversation you're about to have

About The Speaker

Charlie Zei

Senior Vice President, Enterprise Strategy & Government Programs

Charlie leads WellRight's work across CMS Innovation Center models, state Medicaid programs, Medicare, and Medicare Advantage. As Chair of the Government Affairs Committee at the Population Health Alliance, he has an active voice in federal healthcare policy conversations.