D’Andrea Takes the Reins at Catalyst for Payment Reform

Guy D’Andrea, MBA, is succeeding Suzanne Delbanco as executive director of the Catalyst for Payment Reform (CPR), a nonprofit payers’ group established to reorient U.S. healthcare away from fee-for-service payment to systems are supposed to reward value over volume and intensity.

D’Andrea is a healthcare industry veteran who has held jobs at predecessor organization to AHIP, the trade association for the health insurance industry, and URAC, the accrediting organization. He founded Discern Health, a health economics and outcomes research consulting firm in 2004, according to a press release from CPR about this selection and sold it to Real Chemistry in 2020.

Most recently, D’Andrea has been the entrepreneur-in-residence at Healthworx, the innovation and investment arm of CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, a Blues plans with members in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Delbanco was the executive director of CPR since its founding in 2009 until moving to a part-time role as a strategic advisor in February 2023. She has been a visible advocate for, and explainer of, value-based payment and was interviewed often by journalists. In interview with Managed Healthcare Executive earlier this year, Delbanco was asked about the disruptive effects of value-based care and payment.

“If the question is, has it disrupted providers and payers, I think the answer is yes. Has it disrupted the outcomes we were hoping for, meaning has it significantly improved quality or saved money? The answer is no,” Delbanco said.

Andréa Caballero and Ryan Olmstead will continue to serve as the organization’s interim co-executive directors until D’Andrea’s official start date on Aug. 28, the press release says.

The CPR website lists the Peterson Center for Healthcare, The Commonwealth Fund and the New York State Health Foundation as funders. It is also supported by membership fees. According to the organization’s website, the members include private employers, public purchasers, state-based health insurance exchanges, organizations that buy healthcare coverage for multiple employers (union-sponsored health plans) and benefit consulting firms. Members must receive two-thirds or more of their revenue or funding from sources other than the health care industry.