Brandy Barnes

About Brandy Barnes

As a healthcare access leader, my work is shaped by both strategy and lived experience. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1990, I have spent more than 25 years operating at the intersection of policy, systems, and human impact — committed to improving how care is accessed, delivered, and experienced.My career began in advocacy and nonprofit leadership, where I founded and scaled DiabetesSisters into a nationally recognized organization serving hundreds of thousands of women annually. As CEO, I raised more than $1.5 million, led cross-functional teams and volunteers, and built partnerships that addressed systemic gaps in diabetes education, support, and equity.Today, I lead complex market access and national account strategy across Medicaid, Medicare, commercial and federal healthcare systems. I work directly with state agencies, health plans, PBMs, and government stakeholders to remove access barriers, navigate regulatory landscapes, and align policy with patient-centered innovation. My focus is not only commercial growth — but sustainable, system-level improvement that expands equitable access to life-changing technology.I am known for translating complexity into clarity by bringing systems thinking and strategic discipline to every conversation— while never losing sight of the real lives impacted by policy decisions.My leadership philosophy is grounded in three principles: • Access is structural, not accidental. • Strategy must align with lived reality. • Growth and equity can — and should — coexist.

Experience

1. National Account Manager, Market Access

   Insulet Corporation

   Apr 2023 — Present · US

   Lead national Federal market access strategy (VA, DoD, Indian Health Service), impacting 20 million + covered lives.Drove federal channel expansion from $1M in 2024 to $20M in 2025, accelerating adoption through coordinated national strategy, field alignment, and access optimization initiatives.Architected and led a 50-member nationwide Federal Government Advisory Team, integrating facility-level intelligence into national strategy development. Insights from this advisory structure directly informed federal-specific engagement models and were critical to 2025 revenue acceleration.Developed federal-specific marketing and access frameworks aligned to the unique operational structures of VA and DoD systems.Launched a national Veterans Access Hotline to centralize support and streamline navigation for federal beneficiaries seeking product access.

Education

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology

  1993 — 1997

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  Master of Social Work (MSW), Health/Health Care Administration/Management

  1999 — 2001