Improving Health Care Together

Advancing a shared understanding of the complexities of health policy through an exchange of facts, experiences, and differing perspectives.

The Alliance Origin Story

In March 1990, the U.S. Bipartisan Commission on Comprehensive Health Care, “the Pepper Commission,” issued recommendations on improving care for people with both long and short-term health needs. While viewpoints on the final recommendations varied, the Commission’s chair, Senator John “Jay” Rockefeller IV, firmly believed that continued efforts towards productive, bipartisan dialogue were a necessary component of solving the toughest health policy issues of the day.


Moreover, the complexities of the U.S. health care system were becoming increasingly apparent. The policymakers and Congressional staffers tasked with proposing and considering changes to the current system – and the journalists covering these issues – were clamoring for stable sources of information to help them sort through the many decisions they navigated daily.

To address this need, Senator Rockefeller (D-WV), joined by Senator John “Jack” Danforth (R-MO), launched the Alliance for Health Reform in 1991. They envisioned a bipartisan educational forum for members of Congress, their staff, and the media to advance a shared understanding of the complexities of health policy through an exchange of facts, experiences, and differing perspectives. The Alliance held its first briefing in 1992, and from the start, staffers and journalists packed the briefing rooms, eager for this new and vital resource. The Alliance hosted well-regarded experts from every political perspective as panelists and guest speakers, creating forums for discussion and problem-solving that cut across the aisle. This new approach quickly garnered trust among policymakers and stakeholders, firmly establishing the Alliance as a stable resource for the latest health policy information on Capitol Hill and beyond.

Thirty years later, the Alliance continues this work. Now called the Alliance for Health Policy, the Alliance has championed the idea of trusted, comprehensive education from a diversity of voices, all firmly grounded in evidence. In an era of increased political polarization, the Alliance remains committed to being a trusted resource for advancing knowledge and understanding of health policy.