Former Acting CMS Chief of Staff, Director of Medicaid & CHIP Services, Nebraska state Medicaid director, adds significant federal, state expertise to CCA’s leadership team
BOSTON, MA – February 4, 2021 – Commonwealth Care Alliance® (CCA), a nationally recognized not-for-profit community-based healthcare organization focused on care and coordination for high-cost, high-needs individuals, today announced the appointment of Calder Lynch as Vice President and Chief of Staff. Lynch joins CCA after most recently serving as the Acting Deputy Administrator and Chief of Staff at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the chief policy and strategic advisor to the Administrator.
Prior to being named Acting Chief of Staff, Lynch was CMS Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicaid & CHIP Services, leading the program that serves over 75 million low-income and vulnerable Americans through the COVID-19 public health emergency. During his time at CMS, Lynch also shepherded the development of new federal policy guidance to support state strategies that advance value-based payment and innovative investments to address social determinants of health in Medicaid.
Prior to his federal service, Lynch was a recognized state Medicaid leader and served as the Nebraska state Medicaid director and member of the board of directors of the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD). In Nebraska, he managed the development and successful implementation of the state’s integrated and value-based Medicaid managed care delivery system (Heritage Health). Lynch began his public service career at the Louisiana Department of Health, rising from Special Assistant to the Secretary to the agency’s chief of staff.
“Calder comes to CCA with a blend of experiences that perfectly complements our mission of improving the health and well-being of people with significant needs,” said Christopher D. Palmieri, President & CEO of Commonwealth Care Alliance. “He understands just how important it is to address social determinants of health, expand access to behavioral health services, and improve care delivery – the challenges we tackle every day. We are thrilled to have him on the CCA team.”
“CCA has long been nationally recognized for its innovative approach to care and tremendous success engaging with members and patients,” said Lynch. “It is an honor to join this incredible team and advance CCA’s critical mission to improve the health of individuals with complex needs.”
Lynch holds a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Alabama Birmingham, and a business degree from Louisiana State University.
About Commonwealth Care Alliance
Commonwealth Care Alliance® (CCA) is the not-for-profit, community-based healthcare organization whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of people with significant needs by innovating, coordinating and providing the highest quality, individualized care. CCA is a nationally recognized leader in providing care for high-cost, high-needs individuals through a proven model that improves quality and health outcomes while reducing overall costs of care. In Massachusetts, CCA’s two health plans serve over 40,000 members who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. For five consecutive years*, CCA One Care earned a top overall experience rating from consumers; in 2020, CCA earned 93%. For 2021, CMS rated CCA Senior Care Options 4.5 out of 5 stars. CCA was named one of the Top Places to Work in Massachusetts by the Boston Globe in 2020. Learn more about CCA’s pioneering healthcare solutions and validated care model at http://www.commonwealthcarealliance.org or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
*Based on the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) surveys.