Founding President & CEO of Better Medicare Alliance
Former U.S. Representative who served Pennsylvania
Allyson Y. Schwartz is a distinguished former U.S. Representative who served Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District from 2005 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she was a prominent advocate for healthcare, education, and social equity during her tenure in Congress.
Congresswoman Schwartz played a key role in the Affordable Care Act, focusing on expanding access to healthcare access, quality affordability, and equity. As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and Budget Committee, she contributed to pivotal discussions on economic policy, sustainable communities and human services, advocating for initiatives that supported working families and enhanced economic opportunity.
Before her congressional service, Schwartz served as a State Senator for 14 years where she lead successful efforts in healthcare for women and children and economic growth in her diverse district, She was the driving force behind PA.’s CHIP program that became the model for the national program 5 years later.
Prior to elected office, Schwartz held various leadership positions, including Commissioner of Philadelphia Dept. Of Human Services, responsible for the city’s child welfare and juvenile justice services, Founder and Director of Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center for Women which opened shortly after the Supreme Court decision Roe v Wade, and executive at the Philadelphia Health Action/Plan. Her experience in both public service and healthcare policy has made her a respected voice in discussions surrounding health reform and public policy.
After leaving Congress became Founding President & CEO of Better Medicare Alliance, a research and advocacy organization for Medicare Advantage, where is build a national Coalition of almost 200 organizations and 500,000 patient advocates. Congresswoman Schwartz now works as Executive Senior Advisor at Leavitt Partners in Washington, DC, and serves on the Executive Advisory Board of the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and Advisory Board of the Federal Budget Model Project at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. She is Senior Advisor at the Bipartisan Policy Center, RAND Health, and SCAN Health. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine Culture Inclusion & Equity Action Collaborative.
Schwartz has a MSS from Bryn Mawr School of Social Work and Social Research and has two honorary doctorates.