FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
AUGUST 16, 2021

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Health Care Voter welcomes its new Executive Director, Laura Packard

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Health Care Voter announced the appointment of its new executive director: health care advocate and co-chair Laura Packard. Laura will oversee the group’s updated strategy in a new phase of working to expand access to affordable healthcare.

Health Care Voter was among the leading groups holding Republicans accountable for attacking the ACA in 2018, and highlighted the dire stakes for all Americans at the height of the pandemic in 2020. 

Last year, Health Care Voter produced “What’s At Stake” and “Our Lives On The Line“, a 27-episode series of conversations and virtual town halls with mayors, patient advocates, experts, coronavirus survivors, and lawmakers including Speaker Pelosi and Secretary Becerra. and garnered almost 4 million views.

Health Care Voter also advocated for successful passage of the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R.3) in the House of Representatives, and partnered with COVID Survivors for Change on a virtual lobbying day. The group continues to advocate for affordable care and prescription drugs, most recently calling for legislation to lower prescription drug costs by enabling Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies.

Laura was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer over four years ago. The day after her first chemotherapy appointment, Republicans in the U.S. House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which was keeping her alive. She fought back, reaching millions of Americans through her public speaking, NowThis videos, and op eds in local and national publications. Now in remission, she had the honor of speaking with Joe Biden about health care at the Democratic National Convention.

Laura has served as a co-chair of Health Care Voter since 2018, along with Ady Barkan of Be A Hero, former Congresswoman Donna Edwards, former Obama administration official Anton Gunn, Elena Hung of Little Lobbyists, actor and advocate Alyssa Milano, musician T-Boz Watkins, and Brad Woodhouse of Protect Our Care. Laura is currently traveling over 8,600 miles coast-to-coast across the country, on the Protect Our Care bus tour for Lower Costs and Better Care, with 36 events in 19 states through Labor Day weekend.

About Health Care Voter

Health Care Voter is a grassroots campaign that mobilizes millions across the country to hold lawmakers accountable for attacks on our access to quality affordable health care and fights for a more modern, moral and dignified health care system. Join the movement on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or visit us at HealthCareVoter.org.