Intelligence Briefing
The CMS Healthcare Advisory Committee
18 members selected from 400+ nominations. Zero with stated interest in expanding physician ownership.
18
Committee Members Selected
0
With stated interest in physician ownership
400+
Nominations reviewed
$29M+
AHA lobbying spend by incoming committee chair
01 — Committee Overview
Committee Details
Announced
March 27, 2026
Authority
Public Health Service Act, FACA
Reports To
HHS Secretary RFK Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz
Stated Focus Areas
Chronic disease prevention, outcomes accountability, real-time data, vulnerable populations, Medicare Advantage sustainability
| # | Name | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Elizabeth M. Fago | Nursing Homes & Post-Acute Care |
| 02 | Robert Bessler, MD | Value-Based Care |
| 03 | David Carmouche, MD | Value-Based Care / Managed Care |
| 04 | Clive K. Fields, MD | Primary Care Consolidation |
| 05 | Kyu Rhee, MD | Insurer-Aligned / Community Health |
| 06 | Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD | Safety Net / FQHCs |
| 07 | William J. Gassen, JD | Integrated Hospital System |
| 08 | Dennis Laraway | Hospital System Finance |
| 09 | Dan Liljenquist, JD | Hospital System Strategy / MA |
| 10 | Andrew Lynch, PhD | For-Profit Behavioral Health |
| 11 | Russ Thomas, JD | Health IT / Claims Processing |
| 12 | Kimberly Brandt, JD | Government / Lobbying |
| 13 | Stephanie Carlton | Government / Consulting |
| 14 | Sebastian Caliri | Venture Capital / Health Tech |
| 15 | Tony Robbins | Wellness / Longevity |
| 16 | Ursel J. McElroy, MA | State Government |
| 17 | Valerie D. Huhn | State Government |
| 18 | Jenni Gudapati, PhD | Home Health / Education |
02 — The 18 Members
Member Profiles
Elizabeth M. Fago
The Donor
Founder, Home Quality Management / Palm Health Partners
Nursing Homes & Post-Acute CareView Profile →
Robert Bessler, MD
The Hospitalist Industrialist
CEO, Honest Health
Value-Based Care / Hospital Medicine StaffingView Profile →
David Carmouche, MD
The Payer-Provider Shapeshifter
EVP & Chief Clinical Transformation Officer, Lumeris
Value-Based Care / Managed CareView Profile →
Clive K. Fields, MD
The VillageMD Walgreens Entanglement
Co-Founder & CMO, VillageMD
Primary Care ConsolidationView Profile →
Kyu Rhee, MD
The IBM-to-Aetna-to-Community Health Pipeline
President & CEO, NACHC (National Association of Community Health Centers)
Insurer-Aligned / Community HealthView Profile →
Linda Thomas-Hemak, MD
The Safety Net Voice
President & CEO, The Wright Center for Community Health
Safety Net / FQHCsView Profile →
William J. Gassen, JD
The Hospital Lobby's Incoming Chairman
President & CEO, Sanford Health
Integrated Hospital SystemView Profile →
Dennis Laraway
The Cleveland Clinic's Money Man
EVP & CFO, Cleveland Clinic
Hospital System FinanceView Profile →
Dan Liljenquist, JD
The Bain Strategist Inside Intermountain
EVP & Chief Strategy Officer, Intermountain Health
Hospital System Strategy / Medicare AdvantageView Profile →
Andrew Lynch, PhD
Acadia Healthcare's Man at the Table
Chief Strategy Officer, Acadia Healthcare
For-Profit Behavioral HealthView Profile →
Russ Thomas, JD
The Claims Infrastructure Gatekeeper
CEO, Availity
Health IT / Claims ProcessingView Profile →
Kimberly Brandt, JD
The Revolving Door Made Flesh
Deputy Administrator & COO, CMS
Government / Lobbying / Private EquityView Profile →
Stephanie Carlton
The McKinsey Partner Running CMS
Deputy Administrator & Chief of Staff, CMS
Government / Management ConsultingView Profile →
Sebastian Caliri
The Palantir-to-8VC Pipeline
Partner, 8VC
Venture Capital / Health TechView Profile →
Tony Robbins
The Celebrity Play
Author / Investor, Fountain Life / Celularity
Wellness / Longevity BiotechView Profile →
Ursel J. McElroy, MA
The State Aging Director
Director, Ohio Department of Aging
State Government / Long-Term CareView Profile →
Valerie D. Huhn
Missouri Mental Health Under DOJ Scrutiny
Director, Missouri Department of Mental Health
State Government / Behavioral HealthView Profile →
Jenni Gudapati, PhD
The Idaho Value-Based Care Academic
CEO / Director, Amethyst Solutions / Boise State University
Home Health / Value-Based Care EducationView Profile →
03 — Pattern Analysis Preview
Who This Committee Actually Serves
| Sector | Count | Members |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital Systems / Finance | 3 | Gassen, Laraway, Liljenquist |
| Value-Based Care / Managed Care | 3 | Bessler, Carmouche, Gudapati |
| Primary Care Consolidation | 1 | Fields |
| Insurance-Adjacent / Claims | 2 | Rhee, R. Thomas |
| For-Profit Behavioral Health | 1 | Lynch |
| Government (CMS) | 2 | Brandt, Carlton |
| Venture Capital / Health Tech | 1 | Caliri |
| Wellness / Celebrity | 1 | Robbins |
| State Government | 2 | McElroy, Huhn |
| Safety Net / FQHCs | 1 | Thomas-Hemak |
| Nursing Homes / Post-Acute | 1 | Fago |
Who Is NOT at the Table
- •Independent physician practice owners
- •Physician-owned hospital operators
- •Rural hospital administrators (non-system)
- •Patient advocacy organizations
- •Healthcare antitrust experts
- •Medical school debt / workforce experts
- •Uninsured or underinsured patient representatives
- •Direct primary care physicians
- •Emergency medicine independent groups
- •Physicians who have testified against hospital consolidation
04 — The Thesis
The Structural Conclusion
“The committee is structurally designed to protect the incumbent healthcare industrial complex: large hospital systems, Medicare Advantage insurers, value-based care platforms, and the health IT infrastructure that serves them. The ‘Make Healthcare Great Again’ branding suggests disruption. The roster guarantees continuity.”