Allyson Y. Schwartz is a longtime public servant and nationally recognized leader on health care policy. A former Member of Congress for a decade, she was the 7th woman elected to Congress from PA. (2005-2015). Schwartz ascended to the powerful Ways and Means Committee in her second term and served as a senior member of the Budget Committee. Schwartz was a strong advocate for health care access, quality, affordability and equity. She led physician payment reform, wrote legislation to establish e-prescribing and end pre-existing conditions exclusion and was directly involved in the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
Prior to Congress, Schwartz served 14 years in the PA. State Senate (1990-2005) and was well known for her successful efforts on women and children’s health and well-being, including being the driving force behind Pennsylvania’s CHIP program, that became the model for the federal CHIP program five years later. Early in her career, Schwartz was the founding Executive Director of the Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center for Women and went on to serve as Commissioner of the Philadelphia Dept. of Human Services before running for office.
After her tenure in Congress, Schwartz was founding President & CEO of Better Medicare Alliance, the leading research and advocacy organization supporting Medicare Advantage. Under Schwartz’s leadership, BMA built a national alliance of almost 200 organizations that led to meaningful legislation and regulation that enabled MA to grow to cover half of Medicare beneficiaries.
Schwartz has a MSW from Bryn Mawr College and two Honorary Doctorates. She currently serves on several boards and is Senior Adviser to several health entities.