Press Release  Auditor Bump Reappoints Timothy Foley to Serve on Board of Commissioners for Health Policy Commission

BOSTON — State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump has reappointed Timothy Foley to serve on the Board of Commissioners for the Health Policy Commission (HPC), an independent state agency charged with monitoring health care spending growth in Massachusetts and providing data-driven policy recommendations regarding health care delivery and payment system reform. In accordance with the governing statute, the Office of the State Auditor makes three appointments to this commission. 

“I am proud to reappoint Tim Foley to this important role because he brings unique and necessary perspective in working for the state’s largest union of health care workers,” Bump said. “I am pleased that after five years of service on the Board of Commissioners, he is eager to continue his service in this capacity.”

Foley was first appointed to the HPC in October 2016 and has since served the entirety of the five-year term. He currently serves as Executive Vice President for 1199SEIU, the state’s largest union of health care workers. Foley fills the seat on the commission statutorily designated for an individual with demonstrated experience representing the health care workforce as a leader in a labor organization.

In addition to Foley, Auditor Bump has previously appointed Barbara Blakeney to the Commission in February 2019 to fulfill the statutory requirement that there be one member with demonstrated experience in the utilization of innovative medical technologies and treatments for patient care. Blakeney serves as the Committee Chair for Care Delivery Transformation and is the past President of the American Nurses’ Association, representing the nation’s four million registered nurses. 

Patricia Houpt was appointed to the Board of Commissioners for the HPC in January 2021, fulfilling the statutory requirement that there be one member with demonstrated experience as a purchaser of health insurance representing business management or health benefits administration. Houpt served as the executive director at the New England Employee Benefits Council (NEEBC), the region’s leading source of unbiased employee benefits and total rewards education and information. 

Established in 2012, the HPC’s main responsibilities include monitoring the performance of the health care system; analyzing the impact of health care market transactions on cost, quality, and access; setting the health care cost growth benchmark; and investing in community health care delivery and innovations. HPC’s work is led by staff and overseen by an 11-member Board of Commissioners.
 

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