Voices of Self Funding Voices of Executive Forum -- Mike Strong
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Feb 3, 2026 
Mike Strong, Director of Policy & Operations Strategy at Reliant Health Partners with nearly 20 years in healthcare. He explores evolving IDR processes and why old arbitration playbooks may fail. He breaks down billing complexity, regulatory pressures, and how TPAs can protect margins while navigating payer-provider tensions.
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Complexity Drives Costs Not Fraud
- Healthcare billing has become exponentially more complex with thousands of codes and evolving modifiers.
- This complexity creates policy disputes and drives up administrative cost rather than widespread fraud.
From EMT To Payer Strategist
- Mike Strong traces his perspective to hands-on care as an EMT and personal caregiving for family members.
- That provider-side experience shaped how he interprets payer–provider tensions today.
Modifiers Became Payment Drivers
- Modifiers evolved from descriptive tags to payment-affecting rules, creating 'quasi-modifiers.'
- This shift turns billing nuance into reimbursement disputes between payers and providers.