04.06.2017 / Press Release

Families USA Welcomes Federal Medicaid Official Eliot Fishman as its New Senior Director of Health Policy

Washington, D.C. – Families USA, one of the nation’s leading health care consumer organizations, today announced the selection of Eliot Fishman as its new Senior Director of Health Policy. Mr. Fishman currently leads the federal government’s work with states on Medicaid waivers as the Director of the State Demonstrations Group (SDG) at the Center for Medicaid & the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Services at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). He will begin his new Senior Director position at Families USA on May 1.

“We are thrilled to have someone with Eliot’s deep knowledge and experience leading our team of health care policy experts,” said Frederick Isasi, executive director of Families USA. “Eliot will be critical in our work to ensure that the Trump administration’s efforts around Medicaid and private coverage help and not harm America’s families. He also has his finger on the pulse of the efforts to transform and improve the health care system occurring around the country through state Medicaid programs.”

Prior to his work leading Medicaid waiver negotiations, Mr. Fishman served as the Director of the Children and Adults Health Programs Group at CMS. He also served as Director of the Office of Policy in the New Jersey Department of Health.

“Eliot has dedicated his career in both the public and private sectors to ensuring quality health care for all and we’re thrilled that he can now bring that passion and commitment to Families USA,” continued Isasi.

Mr. Fishman also was a Principal at Health Management Associates, a consulting firm specializing in Medicaid and other health policy issues for low-income people and worked as a Vice President in the Metropolitan Jewish Health System, a large non-profit integrated delivery system in New York. He also has published extensively on health policy and Medicaid reform.

“This is a critical moment for our health care system and Families USA is, simply put, one of the most important organizations in the United States on this issue,” Mr. Fishman said. “It is an extraordinary privilege to join Families USA’s leadership team and I look forward to partnering with its outstanding policy staff to further our collective mission of advocating for the cause of effective and affordable health care for all.”

Mr. Fishman received a Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard College and a Ph.D. from Yale University.