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How Humana, Blue Shield of CA, and Noom Are Reimagining GLP-1 Integration and Obesity Care

How Humana, Blue Shield of CA, and Noom Are Reimagining GLP-1 Integration and Obesity Care

Bethanie Stein, PharmD

President, Pharmacy,
Humana

Bethanie Stein is responsible for the strategic growth, operations and profit and loss of Humana’s Pharmacy business, including CenterWell Pharmacy, CenterWell Specialty Pharmacy, Humana Pharmacy Solutions, and Enclara Pharmacia, the company’s hospice pharmacy provider. Bethanie is a member of the Company’s Management Team Extended, which assists the Management Team in setting out and executing on the company’s strategic business goals.

Bethanie joined Humana as a pharmacy resident in 2009. Prior to her current role as President, Pharmacy, Bethanie was Senior Vice President, Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM), which is the fourth largest PBM in the country. There, she was responsible for Pharmacy’s clinical strategy and operations, rebates, network and PBM operations. Her past roles include Vice President, Supply Chain and Analytics, Associate Vice President of Trade Relations, and various roles in Medicare Rebate Contracting and Clinical Strategies.

Bethanie earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She also completed a PGY1 Managed Care Residency through Humana. She serves on the board of directors for DomaniRx, Duquesne University School of Pharmacy and The Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE).

Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi

Senior Director,
Lifestyle Medicine,
Blue Shield of California

Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi oversees the operations and growth of a suite of clinically proven lifestyle medicine programs for Blue Shield of California’s members.  Angie and her team work to drive seamless operations, as well as enrollment and engagement in the lifestyle medicine interventions under the Wellvolution brand.  Specifically, Angie is leading work to rationalize and scale lifestyle medicine programs for this leading California health plan, so that members can benefit from improved outcomes, reverse chronic conditions and improve their quality of life.  She strongly believes that lifestyle medicine can transform the current health care model by introducing clinically effective, cost effective, and non-invasive lifestyle approaches into the care continuum. She, herself, has incorporated lifestyle medicine into her own life to prevent disease and live in optimal health.  Angie is strategically working to promote Blue Shield of California’s philosophy that lifestyle is medicine.

Prior to joining Blue Shield in 2010, Angie worked as the Wellness Program Manager at Visa, Inc. where she created and implemented a new suite of global wellness programs for Visa employees.  Part of her role at Visa was to incorporate Visa wellness programming with health plan offerings so that employees had a seamless experience.  Prior to her time at Visa, Angie served as the Fitness Director at the Sports Club LA in San Francisco where she oversaw a staff of 60 trainers, nutritionists, and sports coordinators.  In her role there, she also managed new-member fitness programs, trainer education, and direct private training sales.  She has also worked in marketing, business planning, and accounting.

Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi holds an M.B.A. degree from Golden Gate University, a B.S. degree in Business from the University of California, Haas School of Business, Berkeley, and is a Certified Holistic Lifestyle Coach.

 

Cody Fair

Chief Commercial Officer,
Noom

Cody Fair brings a proven track record of success to his new role as Noom’s Chief Commercial Officer. Having previously served as the Senior Vice President of Healthcare Sales and Services, as well as the Head of Employer Sales at Noom, he will lead the company’s commercial division and drive growth initiatives across all segments. Prior to Noom, Cody worked at Springbuk, a healthcare data analytics company, where he played a crucial role in shaping the landscape of business development, mid-market sales, enterprise sales, and strategic accounts.

How Humana, Blue Shield of CA, and Noom Are Reimagining GLP-1 Integration and Obesity Care

Host Eric Glazer convenes senior leaders from Humana, Noom, and Blue Shield of California to explore how payers are integrating GLP-1 therapies into comprehensive cardio-metabolic care strategies. The conversation outlines how digital, behavioral, and clinical interventions can align to deliver sustainable outcomes, lower costs, and strengthen member engagement.

Panelists share real-world playbooks on scaling GLP-1 programs responsibly—balancing access, affordability, and long-term adherence through consumer-centric design and data-driven clinical support.

What You’ll Learn

  • How Humana’s CenterWell Pharmacy is transforming outcomes through AI-enabled automation, disease-specific Centers of Excellence, and a high-touch consumer experience.
  • How Noom and forward-thinking health plans are using trust as currency to deepen engagement and sustain lifestyle change.
  • How Blue Shield of California is implementing a step-therapy model that balances GLP-1 access with lifestyle interventions and clinical oversight.
  • Why integration across benefit design, behavior change, and pharmacology is redefining obesity management.
  • What future models look like for holistic, clinician-guided weight management and cardiometabolic care.

Quotable Moments

  • “Trust isn’t optional—it’s the currency that earns you the right to guide someone through change.” – Cody Fair, Chief Commercial Officer, Noom
  • “You can have efficiency and still be high-touch. AI and automation don’t replace pharmacists—they empower them.” – Bethany Stein, President of Pharmacy, Humana
  • “GLP-1s are a tool, not the strategy. Success means combining medication with behavioral, nutritional, and clinical support.” – Angie Okaloosa-Ibrahimi, Senior Director, Lifestyle Medicine, Blue Shield of California
  • “Culture—caring, curious, and committed—is the foundation of transformation.” – Bethany Stein, Humana

Timestamped Hooks

  • 00:08:00 – 00:09:00: Eric introduces the GLP-1 integration playbook and the challenge of turning high-cost therapies into sustainable value.
  • 00:12:30 – 00:14:00: Humana’s digital transformation: from internal pharmacy to 95% retention and NPS of 87.
  • 00:15:20 – 00:17:40: Noom on building trust through “Your Ultimate Why.”
  • 00:20:00 – 00:25:00: Blue Shield of California on managing GLP-1 demand and step-therapy protocols.
  • 00:31:00 – 00:33:00: Noom’s opt-out model driving 90% employer participation.
  • 00:44:00 – 00:47:00: Humana partners with pharma to deliver GLP-1s at up to 70% lower cash prices.
  • 00:55:00 – 00:57:00: “Caring, Curious, and Committed” – the cultural foundation for consumer-centric care.
  • 01:03:30 – 01:04:50: Blue Shield on building Netflix-style personalization for obesity and MSK programs.

Discussion Highlights

  • Integrating GLP-1 therapies within holistic benefit design frameworks.
  • Leveraging AI and automation in pharmacy operations to enhance adherence and experience.
  • The role of behavior-based engagement models in long-term weight management.
  • Data-driven approaches to affordability, utilization, and trust-based engagement.
  • Creating digital ecosystems that mirror personalized consumer experiences in other industries.

Resources Mentioned

  • The GLP-1 Integration Playbook (Noom, 2025)
  • Evolution program, Blue Shield of California
  • CenterWell Pharmacy patient experience data

Bright Spots Ventures- Partner Acknowledgment

Special thanks to Noom for supporting this episode. Noom combines behavioral science, technology, and clinical guidance to deliver measurable results in metabolic health. Learn more at noom.com/health.

 

 

Bethanie Stein, PharmD

President, Pharmacy,
Humana

Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi

Senior Director,
Lifestyle Medicine,
Blue Shield of California

Cody Fair

Chief Commercial Officer,
Noom

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