Crissy Turino became a member of CountyCare — a Medicaid plan under Chicago-based Cook County Health, a public health system — about two years after it launched. She is now one of the plan’s top leaders, serving as COO.
Ms. Turino recently joined an upcoming episode of the “Becker’s Women’s Leadership Podcast,” breaking down her trajectory and what Medicaid leaders need to know as changes come down the pipeline.
Ms. Turino started her healthcare career at an oral surgeon’s office in Illinois. She would frequently refer patients to a nonprofit hotline that helped people navigate care and coverage. Ms. Turino eventually oversaw that hotline, which also assisted people who were applying for Medicaid.
“It was a lot of piecing different programs together for folks when they needed it, and I really witnessed the negative impacts of disinvestment,” she told Becker’s.
Ms. Turino moved to Chicago in 2014 and was aiming to complete two master’s degrees within two years while working part time as a research assistant. From her time at the hotline, she knew she qualified for Medicaid.
“I was so fortunate to have coverage at that time,” she said. “I went through a really challenging health scare.”
CountyCare initially launched under a section 1115 waiver in 2012, Ms. Turino said. The expansion population was later codified through the ACA in 2014.
Fast forward to today: Ms. Turino is COO of CountyCare, and the plan’s membership has soared to roughly 375,000, she said. The plan recently secured another managed care contract with the state.
At the same time, expanded Medicaid programs are facing headwinds in the wake of HR 1.
“We’re now anticipating large changes to the Medicaid program,” Ms. Turino said. “I actually would have been one of the individuals that would have had to go through work requirements and more frequent redeterminations due to those changes.”
In 2027, this subset of members will face Medicaid eligibility checks every six months and community engagement requirements. While Illinois has yet to roll out work rules, other states have taken the lead. Enrollment data related to these provisions is currently limited, but an April 2026 estimate from the Cook County Department of Public Health said 400,000 Illinois residents could lose coverage in the years to come if they are not informed or ready.
Ms. Turino said the majority of people who will encounter work requirements already check the boxes or qualify for an exemption, but the bureaucratic and administrative steps could be an issue.
“Our team is working to really pull together in different areas to ensure that we have a broad communications plan,” she said.
Through its ties to Cook County Health, CountyCare has been engaging in the county’s Medicaid Impact Workgroup. In April, the coalition launched its “Get Medicaid Facts” website to keep enrollees posted on eligibility shifts and actions to take.
“We’re creating a lot of communications in support of our members and our providers,” she said, adding that her team hosts events about five days a week in the community. Over the past year, it has run roughly 250 events. CountyCare has also partnered with organizations it has not worked with previously.
“We’re looking to build upon our experience after the public health emergency, when we had to have all hands on deck and ensure that folks are getting the coverage that they qualify for,” she said.
At the Becker's 5th Annual Fall Payer Issues Roundtable, taking place November 2–3 in Chicago, payer executives and healthcare leaders will come together to discuss value-based care, regulatory changes, cost management strategies and innovations shaping the future of payer-provider collaboration. Apply for complimentary registration now.
