Organization
Health Management Associates
501 Woodlake Circle, Suite 100 Okemos, MI 48864
Founded in 1985, Health Management Associates (HMA) is a national healthcare consulting and research firm that works with government agencies, health systems, health plans, providers, foundations and community organizations. The company provides policy analysis, strategic consulting, data analytics and program evaluation services focused on improving healthcare delivery and outcomes. HMA employs hundreds of consultants, analysts, clinicians and policy experts across the United States. The firm is particularly known for its expertise in Medicaid, Medicare, behavioral health, public health, long-term care, value-based payment models and healthcare financing. In addition to its consulting practice, HMA publishes research, policy analyses and market intelligence on emerging healthcare issues. The firm’s experts frequently advise state and federal policymakers, healthcare organizations and industry stakeholders on topics ranging from healthcare access and affordability to payment reform and care delivery innovation. HMA’s clients include state Medicaid agencies, federal health programs, hospitals, physician organizations, health insurers, behavioral health providers and nonprofit organizations. The firm has played a role in evaluating and designing healthcare programs affecting millions of Americans through both public and private healthcare systems.
Coverage areas
Guests (1)
Episodes (1)
2026-06-23
The Human and Economic Toll of Treatment-Resistant Depressionwith Mark Desmarais
In this latest episode of the Health Policy Podcast, Mark Desmarais, a principal at Health Management Associates, and Dr. William Sauvé, Chief Medical Officer at Osmind, discuss the economic and human impacts of treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Desmarais highlights a report indicating that individuals with TRD incur approximately $8,000 more in annual healthcare costs compared to those whose depression is well-managed. The conversation also addresses the challenges in diagnosing and treating TRD, emphasizing the need for timely and aggressive interventions to improve patient outcomes and reduce overall healthcare expenditures.
Notable quotes
“Individuals with TRD cost the system about $8,000 more each year than those patients whose depression is well managed.”
“It's having a human impact, but it's also good to remember that it's an economic impact, and that should incentivize everyone to really work harder to solve this problem.”
“In psychiatry, the word resistant is quite fraught... It is the condition itself which is resistant to treatment.”
“This is a chronic illness that can get worse and worse over time.”
“Moving quickly and getting people that life back is of course the thing that I would really, really want to have in mind.”
“If you move to those treatments early in the course, it is highly, highly likely that you're saving much, much, much more than being spent.”