David Thomsen
PA
Summary
Dynamic health policy and programmatic leader with over a decade of experience driving impactful initiatives in health policy, compliance, and project leadership in the public, non-profit, and private sectors. Proven track record of transforming access to health coverage and care through the launch and management of innovative health care programs. Effective team and project leader, managing stakeholder relationships, and collaborating with other federal and state agencies to deliver critical health care services and supports.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
6
6
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Director of Policy
Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority (Pennie)
05.2020 - Current
- Part of the leadership team that founded Pennsylvania’s state-based health insurance marketplace, transforming the health coverage landscape in the Commonwealth
- Collaborate with the Executive Director and Pennie’s governing board to implement a transformative policy agenda that improves access to quality health coverage and care for Pennsylvanians, growing marketplace enrollment by over 120,000 since 2020
- Lead the Policy Department, while overseeing all policy projects and federal and state compliance audits; Liaise with Pennie’s leadership team and platform vendor, GetInsured, to turn policy ideas into actionable business systems and processes
- Responsible for ensuring that Pennie’s eligibility and enrollment platform and all required consumer notices are compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and all relevant federal and state laws and regulations
- Collaborate with state agencies to connect Pennsylvanians to quality, affordable health coverage; Created the Path to Pennie program with the Department of Revenue to connect uninsured Pennsylvanians to health coverage through the state income tax return (PA-40); work with the PA Department of Human Services (DHS) and Insurance Department (PID) to help low and middle- income Pennsylvanians access Medicaid, the individual marketplace, or Medicare through the state’s ‘no-wrong door’ policy
- Oversee Pennie’s annual State-Based Annual Reporting Tool (SMART) audit, leading the organization’s engagement with its auditor and fulfilling its reporting requirements with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); lead all ad hoc federal and state audits, including from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Pennsylvania Office of Administration
- Represent the agency in meetings with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, the Governor’s office, and other Commonwealth agencies
- Develop strategic plans for policy implementation, resulting in organizational growth and increased efficiency.
Senior Policy Analyst
Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority (Pennie)
01.2020 - 05.2020
- One of the first members of the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority, a new state-affiliated entity created by state law in 2019
- Tested Pennie’s out-of-the-box eligibility and enrollment platform functionality and recommended improvements prior to Pennie’s launch in November 2020
- Created and managed the development of Pennie’s official notice content for customers and Pennie-certified assisters and brokers to ensure that they are customer-friendly and compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
Project Director
PA Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OHMSAS)
12.2018 - 01.2020
- Successfully launched two federal grant programs worth a total of $40 million, working with 24 grantees to deliver critical physical, mental, and behavioral health services and supports to vulnerable Pennsylvanians
- Launched two federal grant programs as a contractor in the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OHMSAS), including the Promoting Integration of Primary and Behavioral Health Care (PIPBHC) grant, developing four integrated care partnerships between primary and behavioral health care organizations, and the State Opioid Response Housing Support Services (SORHSS) grant, involving 16 grantees providing intensive case management and housing support services for Pennsylvanians battling opioid addiction
- Coordinated the agency’s relationship with the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), ensuring compliance with grant requirements across each of the grantees; developed and submitted grant reports, provider budgets, and project plans for approval on behalf of the agency
- Liaised with senior members of the Wolf administration as the SORHSS grant was a critical aspect of the administration’s effort to tackle opioid addiction in the Commonwealth
- Worked with executive leadership at hospitals, federally qualified health centers, community mental health organizations, and organizations providing housing support services to ensure effective management of federal and state funds in accordance with the grant’s requirements
Policy Analyst
UnidosUS
06.2015 - 11.2018
- Advanced health and nutrition policy priorities for the largest Latino civil rights organization in the country
- Informed the organization's federal and state legislative and regulatory advocacy strategies
- Produced policy analysis documents, policy letters, and talking points for members of Congress, their staff, Affiliates, and national partners analyzing the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on Latino children and families
- Informed the Obama administration’s ACA Open Enrollment Latino engagement strategy by participating in weekly meetings with senior officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on behalf of the organization
- Collaborated with national and state partner organizations and the organization’s Affiliate Network, to ensure the Latino voice was represented in policy discussions around the ACA, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Administrative Specialist
U.S. Department of Transportation
05.2015 - 06.2015
- Processed letters of support for infrastructure projects across the country as a contractor under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) discretionary grant program
- Responded to letters of support from governors, federal and state senators and representatives on behalf of Secretary Anthony Foxx and the Under Secretary for Policy, Peter Rogoff
- Minimized errors in documentation through meticulous proofreading, editing, formatting skills.
Digital and Social Media Communications Graduate Fellow
Eli Lilly & Company
10.2013 - 10.2014
- Generated content for the company’s policy website on topics such as international trade and intellectual property rights
- Worked with a variety of third-party healthcare stakeholders to increase access to treatments for rare disease patient groups
- Informed marketing strategies and analytics across the company’s digital media platforms
Education
Master of Public Policy -
Georgetown University
Washington, DC 08.2012 - 05.2014
Bachelor of Arts - Government & Politics and History
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 09.2006 - 05.2010
Skills
- Program management
- Government relations
- Policy advocacy
- Policy analysis
- Policy implementation
- Presentation
- Policy development
- Writing white papers
- Effective leader
- Analytical thinking
- Strategic partnerships
- Written communication
- Project management
Timeline
Director of Policy
Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority (Pennie)
05.2020 - Current
Senior Policy Analyst
Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority (Pennie)
01.2020 - 05.2020
Project Director
PA Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OHMSAS)
12.2018 - 01.2020
Policy Analyst
UnidosUS
06.2015 - 11.2018
Administrative Specialist
U.S. Department of Transportation
05.2015 - 06.2015
Digital and Social Media Communications Graduate Fellow
Eli Lilly & Company
10.2013 - 10.2014
Master of Public Policy -
Georgetown University
08.2012 - 05.2014
Bachelor of Arts - Government & Politics and History
University of Maryland
09.2006 - 05.2010
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