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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jeff Van Ness, (202) 204-7515  
FOR MORE INFORMATION: February 12, 2019

COMMUNITY CATALYST’S ROBERT RESTUCCIA RECOGNIZED
WITH ACAP LEADERSHIP IN ADVOCACY AWARD

WASHINGTON – The Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) today named Robert Restuccia, a senior advisor to Community Catalyst and its past Executive Director, the winner of its seventh annual Leadership in Advocacy Award. Mr. Restuccia was nominated by Commonwealth Care Alliance^® of Massachusetts.

“For over 30 years, Rob has been a trailblazer in building a consumer movement for those who have not had a voice in healthcare,” said Christopher D. Palmieri, President and CEO of Commonwealth Care Alliance, who nominated Mr. Restuccia for the award. “His lifelong commitment to health justice has made him a pioneer of the consumer health advocacy movement in the United States and an invaluable ally in our efforts to improve access and care for vulnerable adults with complex health conditions.”

Mr. Restuccia is a renowned advocate for access to effective, equitable, affordable care. Throughout his career, Mr. Restuccia has fought for the right to high-quality, affordable health care for marginalized and vulnerable populations, including low-income individuals, people of color, immigrants, women, LGBTQ individuals, and individuals with disabilities and substance use disorders. He was one of the founders of Health Care For All in Massachusetts and became its Executive Director in 1989, leading numerous effective campaigns to expand Massachusetts residents’ health coverage.

Under his leadership, Community Catalyst built a track record of working with national, state and local partners to achieve health care reforms at the national level and in more than 40 states. Community Catalyst led successful national campaigns to expand children’s health coverage, curb conflicts of interests created by pharmaceutical marketing, protect consumer interests in hospital and insurer conversions, strengthen hospital community benefits and protect Medicaid from federal and state budget cuts.

Mr. Restuccia successfully:

• Generated $40 million in philanthropic funding to support the state and local consumer organizations working to achieve health reforms at the state and federal level.
• Expanded the health advocacy movement to more than 40 states across the country plus incubated consumer health advocacy organizations in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Utah.
• Advised on the development of Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA), a healthcare organization in Massachusetts that serves over 30,000 low-income adults with complicated health care needs.
• Worked with six states in 2012 to launch Dual Eligible Demonstration Programs, which seek to create seamless service delivery experiences for dual eligible beneficiaries.

“When it comes to advocacy, Community Catalyst is an organization that punches well above its weight,” said ACAP CEO Margaret A. Murray. “Organizations accomplish that through having passion, vision, and extraordinary people. And Rob is truly extraordinary. Few can match his energy, his sense of purpose, and above all his results in a career spanning four decades. We cannot be prouder of our association with him over the last several years, and cannot be happier to recognize him for all his work tonight.”

About ACAP
ACAP represents 60 Safety Net Health Plans, which provide health coverage to more than 20 million people in 29 states. Safety Net Health Plans serve their members through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Marketplace and other publicly-sponsored health programs. For more information, visit www.communityplans.net.

About Commonwealth Care Alliance
Based in Massachusetts, Commonwealth Care Alliance® (CCA) is the not-for-profit, community-based healthcare organization whose mission is to provide the best possible care, individually tailored to the patients and members it serves. CCA has been nationally recognized for its innovative care model that improves health and quality outcomes while reducing overall care costs for individuals with complex medical, behavioral health, and social needs. CCA’s two health plans serve over 30,000 members who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare, and for three consecutive years, CCA’s One Care plan earned a top rating from a consumer survey conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Learn more about CCA’s solutions at http://www.commonwealthcarealliance.org/ or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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