About Us
Americans are paying more for health care than ever before. While there is broad-based agreement about that harsh reality––and a seemingly endless number of proposals to provide relief––nothing ever seems to get better for patients. At the Institute for Health Policy Accountability, our work is designed to provide the public with a clear picture of how health care policy is formed, debated, and implemented. From lawmakers to the public, everyone should know when special interests are manipulating the system to achieve a desired outcome.
To do that, we have four main goals:
advocate for sunlight & transparency
identify what policies are working
expose misguided advocacy
provide support for new solutions
Our mission is simple: ensure the public receives an honest assessment of policy proposals and their potential impacts on patients.
Leadership
Susana Martinez
Former New Mexico Governor
Susana Martinez served as Governor of New Mexico from 2011 – 2018. She was New Mexico’s first female governor and the first Hispanic female governor in the history of the United States. Prior to being elected governor, Martinez was a prosecutor for 25 years along the nation’s southern border. As governor, she prioritized keeping New Mexico’s communities safe, ensuring all students receive a high-quality education, and diversifying and growing the state’s economy.
Governor Martinez’s two terms were marked by many successes including eliminating a $450 million inherited budget deficit and leaving the state with a $2 billion surplus; job growth at a 12-year high; improving the state’s high school graduation rate by 11 percentage points – to an all-time high of 74 percent; and implementing a number of public safety initiatives.
Blake Harris
Former Chief of Staff
Blake Harris served as Chief of Staff to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee from 2018 – 2021. Prior to joining the Lee administration, Harris served as Executive Director of the Bill Lee Transition Team and as the political strategist for the successful gubernatorial campaign. Harris previously founded a leading public affairs company in Alabama that represented top clients across the Southeast. He is a graduate of Harding University and the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. He is an Alabama native and currently resides in Brentwood, TN with his wife and three children.
Chris Pair
Former State Official
Chris Pair is a former state official who serves as political advisor to Oregon Governor Kate Brown. As a public official, Chris engaged on health care policy ranging from Medicaid expansion, prescription drug pricing, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Chris has worked extensively with the healthcare industry and democratic governors, securing meetings, advancing legislation, and developing policy to meet the needs of both private and public sector actors. Before entering public service, Chris worked as a producer for CNN and CNN International covering presidential elections, H1N1 flu outbreak, the 2008 economic downturn, political upheaval in Kenya and throughout Africa, the Gaza War, conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and several hurricanes and wildfires for domestic and international audiences. Pair graduated from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia and now lives in Oregon with his two daughters.