President,
Highmark Health Options West Virginia
Photo by John Sibold.
By Cathy Bonnstetter
President of Highmark Health Options West Virginia, the state’s newest Medicaid managed care program, Jason Landers is a West Virginia native who says his success is a reflection of his environment.
“I grew up on the eastern end of Kanawha County. In our state, you are never more than a degree or two from anybody else,” he says. “There is no place to hide in West Virginia. I think having the experience of living and working under these close relationships, with the knowledge that there are no secrets, has served me well.”
Landers holds a Bachelor of Science in business management with a focus in economics from the West Virginia Institute of Technology. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from West Virginia University (WVU). He is a first-generation college graduate and says his college credentials gave him the opportunity to help and influence the well-being of fellow West Virginians.
Although he and his wife briefly left the state in the late 1980s to find professional opportunities, they later returned home to stay.
“Home was always in West Virginia,” he says. “We wanted to be an example of the people who were willing to grow with and in the state.”
Landers says he has held nearly every single job in the insurance world during his 30-year tenure. He started as a member service representative.
“I tell my team that if they really want to learn this business, do not be afraid to answer the phones,” he says. “In order to answer the phones and talk with members and providers, you have to understand the building blocks of health care: providing care, billing for that care, paying for those same services and helping the people you are talking to understand the process.”
Landers returned to Highmark in 2022, where he had previously worked as vice president of the West Virginia Medicaid Market. He also spent 12 years working in health care for Camden Clark Medical Center and Camden Clark Physicians Corporation in a variety of roles and worked for Acordia of West Virginia and PrimeOne, the state’s first statewide health management organization.
Paul Holden, then-president of PrimeOne, and PrimeOne’s then-vice-president of business development, John Fischer, helped Landers develop a sharp business sense. Landers worked with both men beginning in an entry level position at Accordia National in Charleston, WV.
“These men allowed me the freedom to be innovative and forward thinking,” he says. “It was a true team environment. Those were formative years for me, and the freedom to push my ideas forward was truly amazing.”
While in his current role, Landers and his team designed Highmark’s new program, the newest medicaid managed care organization in the state, from the ground up. The program became available in August 2024.
“Working with these young leaders with fresh ideas—it’s like the fountain of youth,” he says. “We have hired many West Virginians who now proudly work to improve the lives of our members. I have become the mentor, and it is probably the thing that makes me the proudest.”
Today, in addition to monitoring the plan’s performance, Landers is responsible for establishing and maintaining strategic relationships within the state, including key provider partners and vendors.
“I focus my daily attention on the way our plan interacts with both providers and members,” he says. “I have really taken a lot of pride in the way we have partnered with the community-based organizations throughout the state.”
Landers was a member of the Parkersburg Rotary Club for 18 years. He also spent eight years on the board of governors of WVU at Parkersburg. However, his proudest accomplishments are family based.
“My greatest success is the success of my daughter,” he says. “My wife and I were able to allow her to experience things we did not even know well enough to dream about.”
Although it would seem Landers has done all there is to do in his field, he still has important things to accomplish.
“I want to keep developing the next leaders—finding my replacement in West Virginia health care,” he says. “I want to see the next generation step up and create new organizations. I would love to see my own Wood County get some economic wins that can give people a reason not only to come here but to stay here. I want to see the Highmark WV building filled with other West Virginians achieving success in their own careers.”
Highmark Health Options West Virginia
As president of Highmark Health Options West Virginia, a medicaid managed care organization (MCO), Jason Landers is charged with taking care of the health of West Virginians who qualify for Medicaid in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid Expansion programs. The job presents him with a balancing act, and he relishes the challenge.
“I believe we have the duty to provide excellent health care to the people we serve,” he says. “We also have the privilege of making sure that members are exposed to the opportunities our state provides for its citizens to rise above their circumstances.”
Landers emphasizes that good health cannot happen in a vacuum.
“I want the best for each person in our health plan,” he says. “I want to improve their health, along with their well-being and lifestyle. Being healthy is tied to being housed and fed, and we want to be part of this, as well. I think of our members as my family.”
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation website, 515,813 West Virginians are enrolled in Medicaid as of August 2024. Highmark Health Options WV is the newest of four Medicaid managed care programs in the state.
“Managed care provides a higher level of care while managing the state’s money,” Landers says. “I take this role very seriously. Medicaid is the largest budget item in the state, and we work hard to make sure we are providing the highest level of care for our members while controlling the costs for the state.”
