Who: Allyson Schwartz, 66
New role: CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance, a Washington-based lobbying organization that advocates for the private Medicare Advantage industry. BMA was founded in December and is funded by health insurers, providers and business groups. Insurance backers include UnitedHealth Group and Humana, which have the two largest Advantage plans, based on enrollment.
Transition from Congress: Schwartz was a Democratic U.S. House member for 10 years, leaving her position in January. She ran for governor of Pennsylvania in 2014 but lost the primary to Tom Wolf, who ultimately defeated incumbent Republican Gov. Tom Corbett.
A healthcare hawk: In Congress, Schwartz introduced bipartisan legislation to repeal Medicare's sustainable growth-rate formula for physician payments and denounced Medicare's two-midnight rule.
Backing Advantage plans: “We need to focus on prevention and primary care, to better coordinate care, and to improve care for those with chronic conditions,” Schwartz said in a video statement. “We need to modernize the financing and delivery of care to ensure better quality and better health for our seniors. And this is happening today across the country in Medicare Advantage.”
