NEW YORK , JULY 31, 2008—Glenn Hackbarth, J.D., M.A., chair of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) and an independent consultant, has been elected to the Commonwealth Fund Board of Directors. His membership on the Board takes effect immediately.
In addition to serving as chair of MedPAC since 2001, Mr. Hackbarth is a member of the Commonwealth Fund's Commission on a High Performance Health System, and is widely regarded in health policy circles for his depth of knowledge of the health system, and an unusual and outstanding ability to analyze tough issues and help groups reach consensus.
"Mr. Hackbarth is a nationally recognized leader working to move U.S. health care toward a high performance health system, and his diverse experiences as a health care executive, government official, and policy analyst will certainly enrich the Board's deliberations," said Commonwealth Fund Board Chair James R. Tallon, Jr. "We are very pleased to have him join us and we look forward to his contributions."
Prior to his position chairing MedPAC, Mr. Hackbarth was chief executive officer and one of the founders of Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, a nonprofit multi-specialty group practice which serves as a major teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Between 1988 and 1997, he was an executive of the Harvard Community Health Plan, serving as president of the Health Centers Division from 1992 to 1997. He was Deputy Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration (now the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 1986 to 1988.
"The Commonwealth Fund is extremely fortunate to have Mr. Hackbarth join our Board. His wide experience working to improve the quality and efficiency of our health system will be a tremendous asset to informing the Fund's work," said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis.
Mr. Hackbarth also serves on the boards of the National Committee for Quality Assurance and the Foundation of the American Board of Internal Medicine. He received his B.A. from Pennsylvania State University and his M.A. and J.D. from Duke University.
