Candidate Information: Julia Lerche

Julia Lerche

Practice Area: Health
Employer:  North Carolina Medicaid
City, State:  Raleigh, N.C.
Credentials:  MAAA, FSA, MSPH

Julia Lerche is a health actuary and health policy professional dedicated to improving the health of vulnerable populations and promoting health equity. She currently serves as the chief strategy officer and chief actuary for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Benefits, where she leads Medicaid policy development and analysis, including designing and implementing North Carolina Medicaid’s approach to managed care, addressing medical and non-medical drivers of health. Before this position, she spent five years in public- and private-sector organizations advising state policymakers on implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and she has eight years of experience providing health care and other benefits.

Julia chairs the Medicaid Committee and is a member of several committees and work groups. Her Academy volunteering history appears below.

The Academy’s mission is to serve the public and the U.S. actuarial profession. How will your service on the Board allow you to further the Academy’s mission of public policy and professionalism?

Over the course of my career, I have had the opportunity to work in positions across a broad range of health sectors, including employer self-funded and insured, individual and small group markets, and (most recently) Medicaid. I have served in both the public and private sectors, as a consultant, regulator, chief actuary and policy advisor. My combined actuarial and health policy background provides an expansive outlook, allowing me to analyze issues and develop creative solutions that take into account their collective financial, organizational, and human impacts. The scope of my experience, focused on the intersection of actuarial and health policy work, will bring a unique perspective to the Academy’s Board.

An additional strength I will bring to the Board is the ability to seek out and understand multiple perspectives on an issue and find common ground that allows for development of guiding principles that support the formulation and vetting of innovative solutions to complex issues. This inclusive and collaborative approach allows for the consideration and balancing of impacts on a variety of stakeholders, including those who may not always have a significant voice at the table. 

I believe strongly in the mission of the Academy, including the importance of providing the tools and supports actuaries need to uphold their vital responsibility to provide objective information and analysis, work with integrity and deepen public trust. At a time of diminishing public faith in the integrity of many of our institutions, it is more important than ever that the output of actuaries is perceived as professional and unbiased. It would be a privilege to serve on the Board and leverage my unique combination of expertise to contribute to furthering the Academy’s mission. 

Academy Volunteer Service: