Matt Kazan, former Senate Finance advisor, returns to Avalere Health as Senior Vice President, Policy, and Laura Housman elevates to Chief Public Health Officer
Kazan will take Avalere Health's prestigious policy offering to new heights while Housman will infuse biopharma brands with evolving public health insights. Together, they will drive new possibilities for life sciences clients amid a complex healthcare environment.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Avalere Health, a global strategic partner for the healthcare industry, announces the appointment of Matt Kazan as Senior Vice President, Policy. In this vital role, he will lead Avalere Health's extensive healthcare policy team, a core part of its Advisory capability, in a landscape of profound policy and regulatory change.
Avalere Health has built a legacy as leading experts in federal and state policy, with its specialists including senior Capitol Hill, CMS, and FDA veterans. Kazan will further the policy offering, equipping life sciences, health plan and provider clients with thoughtful strategies and analyses that transform uncertainty into opportunities to improve outcomes for every patient possible.
Kazan spent more than a decade on staff for the US Senate Committee on Finance, where he served as the leading advisor on major Medicare policy changes. He was involved in crafting the Affordable Care Act and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, among other major legislation. He previously served as Managing Director at Avalere Health and returns after serving as Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs at SCAN Health Plan.
"I'm delighted to welcome Matt back to Avalere Health. He's an incredible thought leader with a talent for anticipating future policy activity and a vast knowledge of the fast-evolving healthcare landscape," said Sarah Alwardt, President, Advisory at Avalere Health. "With deep expertise in the complexities of CMS and a first-hand knowledge of the Inflation Reduction Act, he is ideally positioned to support our clients in unlocking possibilities for every patient in a tumultuous US healthcare landscape."
Central to Kazan's role is driving collaboration between the Policy team and the Advisory capability's market access, evidence and value, due diligence, and access marketing teams. Beyond this, Kazan will work closely with Avalere Health's Medical and Marketing leaders to ensure every strategy is infused with a deep understanding of the impact of political changes on healthcare stakeholders.
"I'm thrilled to return to Avalere Health to lead our Policy team. The talent on the team is exceptional – we have some of the brightest minds in the industry. The policy landscape has become incredibly complex and critical to all important business decisions," Kazan said. "I can't wait to collaborate closely with our Medical and Marketing colleagues, ensuring policy continues to be the thread uniting our strategies. Avalere Health's model is truly one-of-a-kind: three powerful capabilities with an unmatched view of the healthcare landscape, delivering unified strategies built around what matters most – ensuring life-changing products reach every patient, everywhere."
Kazan's announcement comes on the heels of another leadership move from Avalere Health's Advisory team: the elevation of public health expert Laura Housman, DrPH, MBA, MPH, to Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO). In this role, Housman will tighten the link between brand strategy and public health – an increasingly critical connection as legislative changes reshape how manufacturers engage patients.
In addition to her new role as CPHO, Housman will continue to serve as Senior Vice President and Practice Director for Avalere Health's evidence and strategy team. Prior to joining Avalere Health, Housman played key roles at several private diagnostic companies, Exact Sciences, and Novartis. She is also a reviewer for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, an adjunct faculty member for the Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research, American Public Health Association, the Massachusetts Public Health Association, and the National DrPH Association.
"Matt and Laura are two exceptional leaders representing some of the most promising minds in healthcare. We're privileged to have them as part of the Avalere Health team," said Amar Urhekar, CEO. "Profound changes to the political landscape are shaping every element of healthcare, from how drugs are priced and distributed to the very foundations of how we communicate with patients. With Matt and Laura's leadership, we are supporting our clients to not only navigate the landscape, but to uncover unexpected opportunities to truly reach every patient possible."
About Avalere Health
United by one profound purpose: to reach EVERY PATIENT POSSIBLE. Avalere Health ensures every patient is identified, treated, supported, and cared for. Equally. Its Advisory, Medical, and Marketing teams come together – powerfully and intentionally – to forge unconventional connections, building a future where healthcare is not a barrier and no patient is left behind.
Avalere Health is a global strategic partner, perfectly formed to solve the biggest challenges in health—at pace and at scale. United across the product lifecycle, the organization is uniquely positioned to understand every angle of life, health, and the human condition.
Visit www.avalerehealth.com and follow Avalere Health on LinkedIn.
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