11.02.2021 / Press Release

Families USA appoints Health Policy Expert Lydia Orth Director of Medicaid Initiatives 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Families USA, a leading national voice for health care consumers, announced today that Lydia Orth is its new Director of Medicaid Initiatives. In the role, Orth will provide strategic leadership and support for Families USA’s Medicaid policy and advocacy agenda. She will also oversee the development of new initiatives on both the state and federal levels, and work closely with local and national partners.

Orth has extensive health policy experience, previously serving as a program examiner in the Medicaid branch at the Office of Management and Budget. Prior to that, she worked in the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services joining the agency as a presidential management fellow and later serving as the special assistant. She was also a 2015 David A. Winston Health Policy Fellow with the House of Representatives Committee on Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health. Orth received her Master of Public Health from the George Washington University and Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science from the University of Colorado Denver.

“Lydia is a skilled health policy expert with exceptional knowledge of the Medicaid program. But most importantly, she is a passionate advocate dedicated to helping all families get access to the health and health care they need and deserve,” said Frederick Isasi, executive director of Families USA. “So much of the work of Families USA is to protect the most vulnerable in our society including moms, babies, children, the elderly and the disabled. The most important tool we have to protect the health of these people is the federal Medicaid program. We are so proud that Lydia is part of the team.”

“I’m excited and honored to be joining Families USA to build on the promise of the Affordable Care Act, particularly at this time when there is a significant opportunity to improve how people in America get their health care so that finally, our health is not determined by who we are, where we live or how much money we make,” said Orth. “Families USA is making great strides to ensure Black, Indigenous, Latino and all people of color are better served by our health care system, especially Medicaid. I look forward to working with the team to advocate for federal coverage for people in states that have not expanded Medicaid, and on ways to improve the Medicaid program through delivery system reform.”

Families USA, a leading national voice for health care consumers, is dedicated to the achievement of high quality, affordable health care and improved health for all.