As the SVP of Insurance Business Operations at Oscar, Tamara Ward has a lot going on. She’s responsible for how the company thinks, strategizes, and executes market readiness. That means she oversees how Oscar enters new markets, ensures we’re following all compliance regulations, and makes sure the company is ready to take on new members. She’s also responsible for Oscar’s network performance, bringing together our affordability strategies with how we optimize our provider networks. And, if you can believe it, there’s more – she also manages large scale, company wide initiatives (such as Oscar’s Culturally Competent Care Grant program (opens in new tab)). Her team takes the idea of a new product or program, builds out the requirements, and ensures that Oscar can execute. She’s been a leader at Oscar for almost three years, guiding her teams through rapid growth and adaptations.
Before joining Oscar, Tamara was no stranger to the healthcare industry. Her experience was on the provider side, leading large health systems through transformations. In her last role, she worked at a traditional health system leading payer strategy, driving their population health initiatives, and overseeing the system’s health plan. “It was a very unconventional, but rewarding role, where I was responsible for these three major pillars for the company. It was a more traditional, corporate environment,” Tamara said. “I joke with folks that, Monday through Friday, you’d catch me in a blue, black, or gray suit. And sweatpants on the weekends.”
An eagerness to try new things inspired Tamara to join Oscar. “I’ve accelerated in my career pretty rapidly, and I think it’s because of my willingness to take on new challenges,” she explained. “I’m always excited to learn something new, or lead strategic initiatives that will stretch me professionally.” And that’s what she saw in Oscar – a new kind of opportunity and challenge. “When I moved from my last employer to Oscar, people thought I was crazy,” she said. “It was a huge risk, but sometimes it’s about just stepping out on faith.” The risk she took paid off – her time at Oscar has allowed her to reimagine how healthcare in the US can function. “Knowing that we’re making a difference by reducing inefficiencies in the healthcare system by leveraging technology reminds me that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be. Everyday I'm impressed by our work here at Oscar. Day in and day out we are transforming healthcare, and improving the experience between the payer, provider and member. In the 17 years I’ve been in healthcare these relationships have been extremely broken. Before everything else, Oscar puts its members first. The company rallies around improving experiences through tech efficiencies. It’s ingrained in everything we do,” Tamara said.