Better Medicare Alliance Names Chris Long as Vice President of Government Affairs
Veteran lobbyist departs top bipartisan government relations firm to join BMA’s growing team
Washington, D.C. – Better Medicare Alliance, the nation’s leading research and advocacy organization supporting Medicare Advantage, announced the selection of Chris Long as Vice President of Government Affairs.
Long brings an unmatched thirty-year career in government relations, advocacy, and public service to the role, starting as an aide to Congressman George “Buddy” Darden (D-GA) and culminating as partner at Bluestone Strategies LLC, a top bipartisan government affairs firm where he has lobbied for over a decade on behalf of clients including Serco Inc., Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA), America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), and Kaiser Permanente.
Prior to co-founding and leading Bluestone Strategies, Long served as Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for CareCore National, where he advocated for evidence-based specialty benefit management programs during the historic debate on the Affordable Care Act.
Earlier, Long served as Director of Congressional and Public Affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and as Director of Tax and Fiscal Affairs for the Associated General Contractors (AGC).
“Better Medicare Alliance is deeply fortunate to bring a leader of Chris’s caliber to our organization at such a pivotal moment for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries,” said Mary Beth Donahue, President and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance. “A fixture in D.C. advocacy, Chris knows the issues, he knows the policymakers, and he knows how to translate our priorities into legislative and regulatory wins for the nation’s seniors.”
“Over the course of my decades-long advocacy career, I’ve witnessed Medicare Advantage evolve from its early days to its current role as an essential part of the Medicare ecosystem, bringing affordable, comprehensive coverage to more than 27 million diverse beneficiaries,” said Chris Long, Vice President of Government Affairs at the Better Medicare Alliance. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside Mary Beth and the BMA community of 170 Ally organizations and over 600,000 grassroots advocates to grow and strengthen the bipartisan Medicare Advantage success story.”
“Because of his expertise and honest policy analysis, Chris has been a key colleague for many in our caucus throughout his career. We congratulate him on his new role,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Chair of the New Democrat Coalition.
“Chris holds the respect of the health care policy community because we know his command of the issues and his commitment to the facts. That reputation will serve him well as Vice President of Government Affairs at Better Medicare Alliance,” said Kavita Patel, MD, Nonresident Fellow at Brookings Institution. “Chris has a deep understanding of Capitol Hill and the regulatory process. More importantly, he uses his platform to advocate for others and improve government for all whom it serves.”
“Chris knows what it takes to build bipartisan consensus and get commonsense policy solutions across the finish line. His track record is tailor-made for the task before him at Better Medicare Alliance,” said Cori Kramer, Executive Director of Center Forward. “I wish him great success as he continues to do what he has done throughout his career in government relations: bringing both sides of the aisle together to achieve meaningful results.”
Long hails from South Carolina, is a graduate of the University of Georgia, and holds a Master of Arts from American University. He served on the board of the Literacy Volunteers and is Chair of the local Young Life Committee in his community.
###