Amy Bassano is a senior executive and nationally recognized health policy expert with more than 20 years of experience developing organizational vision and strategic plans, designing, and implementing payment systems, and driving change in the healthcare delivery system. She joins HMA as managing director of Medicare services after serving as the deputy director for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). As senior executive at the CMMI, she oversaw the development and implementation of value-based purchasing models for both Medicare and Medicaid including accountable care organizations, bundled payment programs, and specialty initiatives in oncology, kidney care, prescription drugs, state-based models and dual eligibles. Additionally, she collaborated with states, health plans, purchasers, and international organizations to lead the national and international movement to value in healthcare. In her more than 15 years at CMS, she served in various Medicare leadership roles including as director of the Hospital and Ambulatory Policy Group. In that role she developed and implemented hospital, physician, Part B prescription drugs, clinical laboratory, and other acute care payment policies, oversaw regulatory and sub-regulatory requirements for these providers and suppliers. She also led implementation of multiple major pieces of legislation including the Affordable Care Act for the payment systems in the policy group. She previously served as director of the divisions of Practitioner Services and Ambulatory Services and in the Office of Management and Budget. Amy earned a Master of Policy Studies from John Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in history from Tufts University.
Contact: abassano@healthmanagement.com
Gretchen Jacobson, Ph.D., joined the Commonwealth Fund in 2020 as the vice president of the Medicare Program. In this role, she is responsible for developing strategy and program plans for advancing Medicare initiatives, understanding and maintaining a view of developments and policy initiatives within the Medicare program, as well as identifying and working with prospective grantees to improve project design on the development of new projects. Prior to joining the Fund, Gretchen was at the Kaiser Family Foundation, where she served as Associate Director of the organization’s Program on Medicare Policy. Her research and knowledge have made Gretchen a nationally recognized expert in the field. Her work has appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine and Health Affairs, as well as other peer-reviewed journals. She has provided expert testimony before Congress and has been quoted as an expert by national and local media outlets. Prior to joining the Kaiser Family Foundation, Dr. Jacobson was an analyst in health care financing at the Congressional Research Service, serving as an expert resource for Congress. She also previously held positions where she directed research on the market value of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and health insurance. Gretchen holds a doctorate (Ph.D.) in health economics from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a master’s degree in (S.M.) epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. She received a bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in economics from Tufts University.
Contact: gj@cmwf.org
Matt Kazan, MPP, provides strategic advice to health plan and life sciences clients navigating the complex legislative and regulatory policy environment, with particular expertise in Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage. Prior to joining Avalere, Matt spent over a decade on the US Senate Committee on Finance health staff under Senators Max Baucus and Ron Wyden. As senior health policy adviser, Matt was the primary policy adviser on policy issues, including Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D and all drug reimbursement under Medicare, chronic disease, dual eligibles, post-acute care, the Medicare Shared Savings Program, and Medicare and Medicaid program integrity. During his tenure, Matt was involved in a variety of major legislative efforts including the Affordable Care Act, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Matt holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Denver and a Master of Public Policy from the George Washington University.
Contact: mkazan@avalere.com
James Mathews, Ph.D. is the executive director of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). Dr. Mathews has over twenty years of health policy experience and has held a variety of management and analytic positions throughout his career in health policy. Prior to his tenure at MedPAC, Dr. Mathews served as the senior career official in the Office of Health Policy under the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Mathews also held positions at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the Prospective Payment Assessment Commission (one of MedPAC’s predecessor commissions), the Office of Management and Budget, and the Health Care Financing Administration (now the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services).
Contact: jmathews@medpac.gov
Arielle Mir, MPA, develops and oversees strategic investments in initiatives to improve care for individuals with complex needs. Arielle has over 15 years of health policy experience in government, advocacy, philanthropy, and the private sector. As a public servant, she was a presidential management fellow at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and served as the assistant director of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, an independent source of information and advice to the U.S. Congress about Medicare. Prior to joining Arnold Ventures, Arielle served as a senior principal and then director at Nuna, a Silicon Valley company focused on leveraging data to drive improvements in health care quality and affordability. She also previously worked to expand access to women’s health care at the Reproductive Health Technologies Project and supported philanthropic health programs at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Arielle graduated from the University of Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in political science before earning a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University.
Contact: amir@arnoldventures.org
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