Robert Laszewski

Robert Laszewski is president of Health Policy and Strategy Associates, Inc. (HPSA), a policy and market place consulting firm specializing in assisting its clients through the significant health policy and market change afoot. Before forming HPSA in 1992, Mr. Laszewski was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Group Markets, for the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group. For ten years he served as National Health Policy Advisor to the insurance practice of Ernst & Young. Market Place Activities The majority of Mr. Laszewski's time is spent being directly involved in the marketplace as it comes to grips with the health care cost and quality challenge. His clients include health insurance companies, casualty insurance companies, HMOs, Blue Cross organizations, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and physician groups. Recently, HPSA has been involved in the development of organized delivery systems, joint ventures between insurance companies and providers, joint ventures between HMOs and insurance companies, the acquisition and divestiture of blocks of health insurance business, the creation of strategies for workers' compensation carriers to manage their costs in the changing health care delivery market, and the strategic planning of numerous clients as they come to grips with their response to policy and market driven change. Robert Laszewski is very active in the purchase and divestiture of health care and insurance businesses having been involved in a number of such transactions in recent years. Policy Making Activities Robert Laszewski has participated extensively in the nation's health care debate, especially on health insurance reform and the impact it will have on existing health insurance programs, the insurance industry, and the evolving role between payers and providers. Robert Laszewski has written and spoken widely on the subject of health care reform and market change. His media appearances include health care features on ABC, NBC, CNN, PBS, and NPR, as well as on The McLaughlin Group. Additionally, numerous articles about his ideas have appeared in the national and trade press and he has been regularly quoted in many newspapers including The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. Bob Laszewski is North American Chairman of the Zurich-based Global Medical Forum an international network of leaders in health care including health ministers, global health business executives, scientists, and academics. He also chairs the Global Medical Forum's partnership with the Chinese Health Ministry. He is also a member of the Board of Overseers of the C. Everett Koop Foundation at Dartmouth and the Dartmouth Medical School. The Koop Institute specifically deals with the need to place a greater emphasis on the creation of primary care physicians in America. While at Liberty, he participated on a number of Health Insurance Association task forces and committees. His opinions are regularly sought by groups such as the Health Insurance Association of America, The Global Medical Forum, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Internal Medicine, the Council for Health Information Management, the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (CEBS), and the Association of State Health Officials, as well as other trade associations, state policy makers and regulators, hospital administrators, and religious groups. Robert Laszewski has offered his perspective on health care reform in testimony before several committees of both the House and Senate of the U.S. Congress.