Vice Chair
Edward Garcia
Eddie Garcia (he/him) offers thoughtful and expansive expertise in health and social policy development and advocacy for low-income and other vulnerable populations. Eddie’s 20 years working in government health and social services programs has made him knowledgeable in a multitude policy issue areas. He brings a wealth of knowledge and passion for policy and program development to expand access to social determinants of health and health equity programs and services. Eddie is a sought-after speaker on issues of social isolation and loneliness and social health as showcased before the American Public Health Association, the World Health Organization, and the European Commission, and numerous national governments and organizations around the globe.
Previously, Eddie served as the Executive Director for Federal Affairs at CareSource, a government programs-focused health insurer. He oversaw the development of federal policy and advocacy across their multi-state health plans. His portfolio included policy development and advocacy on Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, Health Insurance Exchanges, dual-eligible coverage, and social determinants of health programs and financing. He led and was actively involved in numerous multi-stakeholder coalitions aimed at improving our nation’s health care delivery and financing systems, including the Root Cause Coalition and Aligning for Health. He similarly served on the Board of Directors for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and the Association of Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP).
Before joining CareSource, Eddie served as Director of Federal Relations for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association where he maintained a similar portfolio related to Administration advocacy and regulatory policy development.
Prior to joining the private sector, Eddie held positions in both the Executive and Legislative branches. From 2007 – 2012, Eddie worked at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services where he oversaw the development and implementation of quality measurement strategies across all CMS quality programs. From 2012-2015, Eddie served the House Energy and Commerce committee as a professional staff member under Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) overseeing their Medicare finance and quality portfolios.
Hailing from the great state of Ohio, Eddie received his B.A. in political science and comparative health politics from Boston University in 2004. In 2008, Eddie received his Master of Health Science in Public Health degree from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and was inducted into the Delta Omega honors society as the valedictorian of his graduating class.
