Former HHS chief of staff Donahue to lead Better Medicare Alliance

The Better Medicare Alliance has chosen Mary Beth Donahue to be the advocacy group’s next president and CEO.

Donahue takes over for former Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, who was the first president and CEO of the group that advocates for issues surrounding Medicare Advantage. Donahue formerly served as chief of staff to prior former President Bill Clinton's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Donna Shalala during the early days of Medicare Advantage.

“As Americans begin to re-emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, we will ensure that Medicare Advantage is ready and able to help beneficiaries navigate the road ahead while continuing to offer better outcomes, lower costs and high satisfaction that are hallmarks of the program today,” said Donahue in a statement Monday.

Donahue previously served as executive vice president of advocacy and operations for AHIP and most recently was the executive director of the advocacy group Kidney Care Partners.

Schwartz announced back in January that she would be stepping down within six months. She has held the position for the past six years.

She told Fierce Healthcare in January that the advocacy organization has “worked actively with members of Congress and bringing them to a place where they understand the importance of Medicare Advantage to their beneficiaries and know how it works and why it works.”