Melody Craff

PhD, MBA, MD, MS, MA (PHARM), FAHM

Vice President, Strategic Analytics and Education

Seattle, WA, US

Melody Craff is a healthcare consultant in the Seattle office of Milliman and leads MedInsight Strategic Analytics and Education services. She joined the firm in 2019.

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Experience

Melody has 30 years of experience leading health care organizations in developing and implementing innovative business strategies to improve healthcare outcomes, financial, and operational performance. Her work has spanned strategic supply chain, pharmacy formulary development, research and clinical leadership, informatics, and education. Melody specializes in clinical and operational analysis, strategy development, research, and business transformation for health care organizations. She works with public and private sector clients to help them evaluate strategic options and respond to new market opportunities.

She is experienced in executive leadership for technology and business transformations, scaling product and service innovations.

Prior to joining Milliman, Melody was a senior vice president of research and vice president of clinical advancement at a multi-state health system and a national group purchasing organization. Her focus was on aligning stakeholders from multiple disciplines and specialties to implement novel approaches for improving quality, cost, and health outcomes.

Publications and Presentations

Delarmente, B., Cui, M., Romanov, A., Craff, M., Skinner, D., Hadfield, M., Sarkisian, C.A., Damberg, C.L., Fendrick, A.M., and Mafi, J.N. Impact of Telemedicine-Use on Outpatient-Related CO2 Emissions: Estimate from a National Cohort. American Journal of Managed Care. March 2025. https://www.ajmc.com/view/impact-of-telemedicine-use-on-outpatient-related-co2-emissions-estimate-from-a-national-cohort
Leuchter, R.K., Craff, M., Vangala, S., Tseng, C., Arbanas, J.C., Tabatabai-Yazdi, C., Hadfield, M., Skinner, D., Damberg, C.L., Sarkisian, C.A., Mafi, J.N., and Kahn, K.L. Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Groups May Have Underused The Emergency Department For Nonavoidable Visits, 2018–22. Health Affairs. March 2025. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2024.00815
Rockwell, M.S., Vangala, S., Hadfield, M., Cantor, J., Skinner, D., Craff, M., Fendrick, A.M., Damberg, C.L., Kahn, K.L., and Mafi, J.N. Demographic Variation In US Outpatient Hydroxychloroquine And Ivermectin Use During The COVID-19 Pandemic. Health Affairs. February 2025. https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/pdf/10.1377/hlthaff.2024.00452
Walker, L.S., Cui, M., Cantor, J., Craff, M., Damberg, C.L., Mafi, J.N., and Kahn, K.L. Disparities in Substance Use Disorder Telehealth Services. JAMA. February 2025. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2830119
Craff, M. Covid-19-Related Impacts on Delayed or Canceled Care & Disparities in the Utilization Uptick. Alliance of Community Health Plans. May 2022.
Mafi, J.N., Craff, M., Vangala, S., Pu, T., Skinner, D., Tabatabai-Yazdi, C., Nelson, A., Reid, R., Agniel, D., Tseng, C.H., Sarkisian, C., Damberg, C., and Kahn, K. - Trends in US Ambulatory Care Patterns During the COVID-19 Pandemic, 2019–2021. JAMA. January 2022. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.

Professional Designations

FAHM Fellow Academy of Healthcare Management, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)

Education

PhD, Molecular Biology, University of Cambridge, U.K.
MD (MB BChir), Medicine and Surgery, University of Cambridge, U.K.
MBA, University of Indiana (Beta Gamma Sigma)
MS, Strategic Management, University of Indiana (Scholastic Award)
MA, Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, U.K.

Affiliations

Member of the Board of Trustees for the non-profit organization, Northwest Kidney Centers, 2024-2027.

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Publications

Read their latest work

Article

Measuring how GLP-1 medications impact the total cost of care

18 August 2025 - by Melody Craff, Kim Ren, Davin Hemmila, Ivanna Ulin, AJ Ally

Increased GLP-1 adherence may reduce medical costs for a growing number of chronic conditions, but savings don’t offset the high price of the medications.

Article

Making learning easier: Educational strategies and a learning culture offer competitive advantages in a dynamic marketplace

18 October 2023 - by Melody Craff, Jill Gosnell, Casilde Sesti, Shannon Majors, Doug Norris

A strong learning culture offers organizations a competitive edge, and requires leadership to inspire continuous self-development.

Article

Payer strategies for GLP-1 medications for weight loss

25 August 2023 - by AJ Ally, Deana Bell, Melody Craff, Jeff Garbe, Mark F. Gruenhaupt, RPh, Peter Heinen, Ellyn Russo

We examine various strategies related to GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy when used for weight loss to help payers understand the landscape, develop a coverage strategy, and minimize waste.

Article

Patterns in cost and utilization of cardiac diagnostic procedures and cardiovascular events

15 December 2022 - by Melody Craff, Michael Hadfield, Rachel Beaton, Dale Skinner

This report summarizes cost and patterns of cardiovascular events and treatments based on analysis of the Milliman MedInsight nationwide Emerging Experience research database spanning January 2017 to December 2021.

Article

How to create a data analytics center of excellence in healthcare

20 May 2022 - by Melody Craff, Will Fox

How do you go about transforming your processes into a system for transforming data into meaningful business insights?

Article

Health and hurricanes, studying disparate health impact of extreme climate events, 2017-2020

03 March 2022 - by Cody Webb, Melody Craff, Molly Barth, Larry Baeder, Dale Skinner, Thomas Pu

Carbon dioxide poisoning found consistently among populations affected by four hurricanes points to how climate events can have other health effects.

Article

Insights into cost patterns and actionable factors in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes

03 January 2022 - by Melody Craff, Austin Barrington, Thomas Pu, Dale Skinner, Michael Hadfield

While people with a higher BMI at the diagnosis of T2D points to greater healthcare cost increases, weight management appears to help mitigate the rise in expenses.

Article

The mysterious case of the missing influenza season

28 June 2021 - by Ellyn Russo, Thomas Pu, David V. Williams, Melody Craff, Jennifer R. Cohen

Did the influenza virus also follow stay-at-home orders for 2020-21 season? We offer three hypotheses to explain a 94% drop in cases.

Article

Racial disparities in cardiovascular conditions

05 April 2021 - by Penny Edlund, Anikia Nelson, Melody Craff, Maureen Tressel Lewis

Our study of racial disparities in cardiovascular disease contributes new research and approaches toward achieving healthcare equity.

Article

Frameworks and considerations for COVID-19 related analyses

21 April 2020 - by Melody Craff, Dale Skinner, David Mirkin, Francesca Hammerstrom, Will Fox

This Milliman MedInsight brief provides an analytic guide to assist healthcare organizations with COVID-19 pandemic analytics.

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Experience

She is experienced in executive leadership for technology and business transformations, scaling product and service innovations.

Read their latest work

Article

Measuring how GLP-1 medications impact the total cost of care

18 August 2025 - by Melody Craff, Kim Ren, Davin Hemmila, Ivanna Ulin, AJ Ally

Increased GLP-1 adherence may reduce medical costs for a growing number of chronic conditions, but savings don’t offset the high price of the medications.

Article

Making learning easier: Educational strategies and a learning culture offer competitive advantages in a dynamic marketplace

18 October 2023 - by Melody Craff, Jill Gosnell, Casilde Sesti, Shannon Majors, Doug Norris

A strong learning culture offers organizations a competitive edge, and requires leadership to inspire continuous self-development.

Article

Payer strategies for GLP-1 medications for weight loss

25 August 2023 - by AJ Ally, Deana Bell, Melody Craff, Jeff Garbe, Mark F. Gruenhaupt, RPh, Peter Heinen, Ellyn Russo

We examine various strategies related to GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy when used for weight loss to help payers understand the landscape, develop a coverage strategy, and minimize waste.

Article

Patterns in cost and utilization of cardiac diagnostic procedures and cardiovascular events

15 December 2022 - by Melody Craff, Michael Hadfield, Rachel Beaton, Dale Skinner

Article

How to create a data analytics center of excellence in healthcare

20 May 2022 - by Melody Craff, Will Fox

How do you go about transforming your processes into a system for transforming data into meaningful business insights?

Article

Health and hurricanes, studying disparate health impact of extreme climate events, 2017-2020

03 March 2022 - by Cody Webb, Melody Craff, Molly Barth, Larry Baeder, Dale Skinner, Thomas Pu

Carbon dioxide poisoning found consistently among populations affected by four hurricanes points to how climate events can have other health effects.

Article

Insights into cost patterns and actionable factors in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes

03 January 2022 - by Melody Craff, Austin Barrington, Thomas Pu, Dale Skinner, Michael Hadfield

While people with a higher BMI at the diagnosis of T2D points to greater healthcare cost increases, weight management appears to help mitigate the rise in expenses.

Article

The mysterious case of the missing influenza season

28 June 2021 - by Ellyn Russo, Thomas Pu, David V. Williams, Melody Craff, Jennifer R. Cohen

Did the influenza virus also follow stay-at-home orders for 2020-21 season? We offer three hypotheses to explain a 94% drop in cases.

Article

Racial disparities in cardiovascular conditions

05 April 2021 - by Penny Edlund, Anikia Nelson, Melody Craff, Maureen Tressel Lewis

Our study of racial disparities in cardiovascular disease contributes new research and approaches toward achieving healthcare equity.

Article

Frameworks and considerations for COVID-19 related analyses

21 April 2020 - by Melody Craff, Dale Skinner, David Mirkin, Francesca Hammerstrom, Will Fox

This Milliman MedInsight brief provides an analytic guide to assist healthcare organizations with COVID-19 pandemic analytics.

Melody Craff

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Experience

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Read their latest work

Measuring how GLP-1 medications impact the total cost of care

Making learning easier: Educational strategies and a learning culture offer competitive advantages in a dynamic marketplace

Payer strategies for GLP-1 medications for weight loss

Patterns in cost and utilization of cardiac diagnostic procedures and cardiovascular events

How to create a data analytics center of excellence in healthcare

Health and hurricanes, studying disparate health impact of extreme climate events, 2017-2020

Insights into cost patterns and actionable factors in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes

The mysterious case of the missing influenza season

Racial disparities in cardiovascular conditions

Frameworks and considerations for COVID-19 related analyses

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Melody Craff

Experience

Read their latest work

Measuring how GLP-1 medications impact the total cost of care

Making learning easier: Educational strategies and a learning culture offer competitive advantages in a dynamic marketplace

Payer strategies for GLP-1 medications for weight loss

Patterns in cost and utilization of cardiac diagnostic procedures and cardiovascular events

How to create a data analytics center of excellence in healthcare

Health and hurricanes, studying disparate health impact of extreme climate events, 2017-2020

Insights into cost patterns and actionable factors in newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes

The mysterious case of the missing influenza season

Racial disparities in cardiovascular conditions

Frameworks and considerations for COVID-19 related analyses

CHOOSE A LOCATION AND LANGUAGE