Signature Series

5 Questions to Ask in Your Next Health Care Payment Conversation

June 23, 2026

12:00 pm-

1:30 pm

Virtual Event

Event Description

Health care payment is not a single system, instead, it is a set of interconnected structures across drug, physician/provider, and hospital domains, each with its own logic, incentives, and players. When it comes to jurisdiction in Congress and the administration, it can seem even more complex. Through deep listening with experts and policymakers, the Alliance has identified a clear need: practical tools that help policymakers and policy professionals ask better questions, understand key payment domains, and connect today’s federal payment conversations.

Experts will ground participants in the fundamentals of healthcare payment jurisdiction. Attendees will leave with a short list of questions to ask stakeholders that will unlock more depth and understanding of key payment domains. It will also include an interactive Q&A to clarify common questions and misconceptions.

By the end of the webinar, participants will:

Walk away with five critical questions to ask about health care payment policy in key domains, and a sense of when and how to use them in policy conversations.
Understand which congressional committees and other entities have jurisdiction over drug, physician, and hospital payment and recognize which players are likely to shape the debates as policy evolves.

Speakers

Moderator: Purva Rawal, Ph.D., Managing Principal, Health Transformation Strategies & Advisor, Duke Margolis Institute for Health Policy
James “JP” Paluskiewicz, Senior Policy Advisor, Alston & Bird
John Michael O’Brien, PharmD, MPH, President and CEO, National Pharmaceutical Council
Shawn Stack, Director, Healthcare Reimbursement, Forvis Mazars

Speakers

Purva Rawal, Ph.D.

Managing Principal, Health Transformation Strategies & Advisor, Duke Margolis Institute for Health Policy

Purva Rawal, PhD, is an internationally recognized leader in value-based care and health policy with over 20 years of experience across government, academia, and the private sector. She currently conducts policy research as an advisor to the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy and Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, she serves as Managing Principal at Health Transformation Strategies, where she advises innovative companies and organizations seeking to transform care delivery and systems. Most recently, Dr. Rawal was the Chief Strategy Officer at the CMS Innovation Center, where she helped implement a national strategic vision grounded in accountability and person-centered care. Her prior experience includes a decade in policy research and business strategy consulting, as well as serving as an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University, where she taught the Politics of Health Care. Earlier in her career, Dr. Rawal was a staff member on the Senate Budget Committee during the development of the Affordable Care Act and served as an advisor to Senator Joseph Lieberman. A published author and widely cited expert, her work has appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Health Affairs. She holds a B.A. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

John M. O’Brien, PharmD., MPH

President and CEO, National Pharmaceutical Council

John O'Brien, PharmD, MPH, is President and CEO of the National Pharmaceutical Council. NPC serves patients and society with policy-relevant research on the value of patient access to innovative medicines and the importance of scientific advancement. His experience spanning the private sector, academia, and government gives him a unique perspective on the business risk of public policy. He was senior advisor to the Health and Human Services Secretary for drug pricing and deputy assistant secretary of planning and evaluation in the previous Trump administration; a career official at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; a health policy fellow in the Senate; and held senior policy positions in the life sciences and managed care industries.

James “JP” Paluskiewicz

Senior Policy Advisor, Alston & Bird

James “JP” Paluskiewicz is a senior policy advisor in the Health Care group. JP advises health care clients on legislative and public policy matters before Congress, the Administration, and other government agencies. JP devises strategies for effective outreach and messaging to assist health care clients in navigating complex legislation and regulation. He develops and executes legislative and regulatory solutions on behalf of health care provider groups, health care systems, hospitals, biopharmaceutical and medical device companies, and health payers while working directly with policymakers on the Hill and in the Administration to secure their passage and implementation. JP was chief counsel on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Health Subcommittee and oversaw all policy matters under the committee’s jurisdiction, including legislation affecting the Food and Drug Administration, Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, health information technology, and public health. He managed the committee’s health agenda, policy development, and legislative strategy for Republicans. He was also the sole policy staffer overseeing Medicare Parts B and D and health information technology. During his tenure on Capitol Hill, JP developed and shepherded numerous policies throughout the legislative process. JP is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management and Milken Institute School of Public Health. JP regularly serves as a panelist and speaker on policy matters to health care audiences throughout the Washington, D.C. area.

Shawn Stack

Director, Healthcare Reimbursement, Forvis Mazars

Shawn Stack is a Director of Healthcare Reimbursement with Forvis Mazars, where he supports the firm’s revenue cycle, finance, reimbursement, and healthcare artificial intelligence strategy across the U.S. healthcare market. He brings extensive experience in healthcare policy, reimbursement, market analysis, finance, and revenue cycle operations. Prior to joining Forvis Mazars, Shawn held leadership and advisory roles with HFMA, HMA/Burns & Associates, the Ohio Hospital Association, and a major academic medical center and designated cancer hospital. His experience includes advising state Medicaid agencies, developing healthcare policy positions, supporting association content strategy, and helping healthcare organizations address access, reimbursement, and operational performance challenges. Shawn is a graduate of Kent State University and currently serves on staff at Carnegie Mellon University and Boise State University.

Event Series

This event is part of the

Signature Series 2026

series.

Signature Series 2026

In 2026, the Alliance for Health Policy will mark the 10th year of its flagship annual Signature Series by examining one of the most foundational and least understood drivers of the health care system: how health care is paid for.

Learn More about the Series

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