More than 600,000 have already lost coverage since pandemic protections ended on April 1 and about 15 million people will be dropped over the next year in the "Medicaid unwinding," as states review participants' eligibility.

Although she didn't start in pole position, Nancy Giacolone has come to lead the pack through determination, innovation and a client-centered approach.

Making it easier for eligible people to enroll in and maintain Medicaid coverage also may help close coverage gaps for people of color.

"If you're a bad guy and you're not using ChatGPT or other LLMs to go and find vulnerabilities, you're probably not doing your job as a bad guy," said Scott Giordano, general counsel of Spirion.