Drew Altman

Drew Altman is an American health policy analyst and nonprofit executive who served as president and chief executive officer of the Kaiser Family Foundation. He is noted for work on health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, public opinion, and health communication, and for leading policy analysis, research, and media initiatives that intersect with politicians, think tanks, and foundations.

Early life and education

Altman was born in the United States and raised in a period shaped by the presidencies of Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford. He attended undergraduate studies at Cornell University and completed graduate work at Columbia University and Harvard University where he trained in public policy and health policy analysis. During his formative years he was influenced by scholarly debates at institutions such as Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, and RAND Corporation and by policy developments including the passage of Medicare amendments and expansions of Medicaid in the late 20th century.

Career

Altman began his career in the 1970s and 1980s with roles at policy organizations and government-oriented research entities including Health Affairs (journal), the Health Care Financing Administration, and policy units linked to the Kaiser Family Foundation. He joined the staff of the foundation in the 1980s and later became its president and CEO, overseeing research, communications, and grantmaking. Under his leadership the foundation partnered with media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, and PBS and collaborated with academic centers at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard School of Public Health, and University of California, Berkeley. Altman steered work on major national issues spanning Affordable Care Act debates, prescription drug policy linked to Food and Drug Administration regulation, and coverage trends associated with Employer-sponsored health insurance and the expansion of Children's Health Insurance Program.

Research and publications

Altman authored and coauthored research, commentaries, and briefings on topics including insurance coverage, health system performance, and public attitudes toward policy. His publications appeared alongside scholarship from Health Affairs (journal), analyses used by policymakers in the United States Congress, and summaries cited by advocacy organizations such as AARP, American Medical Association, and Families USA. He led or commissioned public opinion polling conducted in collaboration with polling organizations like Pew Research Center, Gallup, and Kaiser Family Foundation survey teams that informed reporting in outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and Reuters. Altman's work interfaced with regulatory and legislative developments involving the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, debates over Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, and policy discussions around prescription drug pricing and Medicare Part D implementation.

Awards and recognition

Altman received recognition from philanthropic, academic, and journalistic institutions. Honors came from organizations such as Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Commonwealth Fund, and academic centers at Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University. Media organizations and professional associations including the National Academy of Medicine and the American Public Health Association acknowledged contributions to health communication and policy analysis. His leadership was noted during coverage by outlets including NPR, Bloomberg News, and The New Yorker.

Personal life and affiliations

Altman has served on boards and advisory committees for institutions including Harvard Kennedy School, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation network, and partnerships with universities and policy centers such as Georgetown University and University of California, San Francisco. He has engaged with global health efforts that intersect with entities like the World Health Organization, philanthropic initiatives led by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and international health policy exchanges with scholars from London School of Economics and Karolinska Institutet. Altman's professional affiliations extended to collaborations with think tanks and advocacy groups including Center for American Progress, Heritage Foundation (in policy dialogues), and nonprofit coalitions addressing coverage and public health.

Category:American health policy analysts Category:Nonprofit executives