BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced Monday that she has appointed Ashley Blackburn to the board of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission.
According to Attorney General Campbell’s office, Blackburn will fill the seat vacated by Dr. Alecia McGregor, who resigned in September. Blackburn will serve the remainder of McGregor’s term, which expires in June 2029.
Blackburn is deputy executive director of Health Care for All, a Massachusetts health care consumer advocacy group. She helps lead the group’s policy advocacy, community engagement and HelpLine, which provides direct assistance to consumers. She recently co-chaired the Right Care, Right Place, Right Time subcommittee of the governor’s Health Care Affordability Working Group and was also a member of the Payment and Pricing subcommittee, Attorney General Campbell’s Office said.
Blackbun previously worked as a policy manager at Community Catalyst and served as a consumer representative at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
In a statement, Attorney General Campbell’s office said Blackburn’s years of experience working as a consumer advocate will help advance the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission’s mission of providing more affordable, equitable, and accessible care for all of the Commonwealth’s residents.
“Ms. Blackburn’s experience as a consumer advocate and her expertise in advancing affordability and health equity will make her a strong asset to the Health Policy Commission,” Attorney General Campbell said. “I look forward to working with her to continue lowering costs for patients in Massachusetts and strengthening our healthcare system.”
Blackburn said she looks forward to bringing a consumer perspective to the board.
“The work of the Health Policy Commission has never been more critical as rising health care costs force people across Massachusetts to choose between getting the care they need and paying for other necessities like rent and groceries,” Blackburn said. “Throughout my career I have remained dedicated to building an equitable health care system that is accessible and affordable for everyone. I am extremely grateful to Attorney General Campbell for this appointment and look forward to bringing the consumer perspective to the important work of the Health Policy Commission.”
The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission board governs the activities of the Health Policy Commission, which is an independent state agency that develops policy to slow the rise in health care costs and improve the quality of patient care. According to Attorney General Campbell’s office, the Health Policy Commission is also responsible for monitoring the performance of the health care system, analyzing the impact of health care market transactions on cost, quality and access, setting the health care cost growth benchmark, and investing in community care delivery.
