This series is part of a spotlight on members of NASHP’s Academy, showcasing the expertise and leadership they bring to advancing state health policy. Each feature offers a closer look at their work and the meaningful contributions they make to NASHP’s mission.
With over 30 years of experience in public service, Jane Beyer, a senior health policy advisor at the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner and chair of NASHP’s Academy, brings a wealth of insight into the evolving landscape of state health policy. In this Q&A, Jane reflects on how early experiences shaped her career, the value of state collaboration, and what continues to drive her work in public service.
You began your career as a legal aid attorney. What experiences most prepared you for your current position as a senior health policy advisor?
I spent four years representing senior citizens dealing with issues like Medicare and Medicaid coverage, Social Security, disability, and unstable housing. So, it was very clear to me that we had a lot we needed to fix about our health and human services systems. That experience came with me into my service as an attorney for the state legislature, as a state Medicaid director, and as the state behavioral health commissioner. I have always believed that these positions provided me an opportunity to help a lot more people than representing individual clients.
Through that experience, I learned that many of the seniors I represented had left high school during the Depression so they could work to support their families. Talking to them about the difference between Medicare and Medicaid, or Social Security and Supplemental Security Income, was challenging because the systems, by definition, are complex. That gave me a passion that has carried me through for 35 years.
What initially drew you to join the NASHP Academy?
I started going to NASHP’s annual conferences right from the beginning. For a number of years, I attended conferences, but had not become an Academy member. And what immediately attracted me to NASHP was the fact that the organization addressed the full scope of health care issues.
Remember, I was a legislative staffer. As a legislative health policy staffer, you’re covering the full scope of health policy issues. I love the fact that I could connect with people from other states and learn how they were developing and implementing new health policy initiative. I love the fact that NASHP didn’t just talk about a bill that passed, but dives deeper into how that bill was implemented, the lessons learned, and what the impacts of the law were.
How has being part of the NASHP Academy influenced your work in state government?
My work is always more effective if I understand what other states have tried. States shamelessly borrow from each other when we’re looking at policy initiatives, not only the policy ideas, but the approaches to implementation. Having access to that information when I needed it, and having people who I could connect with to get a deeper understanding of what their experience had been, is critically important.
What challenges are you currently navigating in Washington state?
Our state legislature adjourned in April of this year, and it was a very challenging fiscal environment. Our challenge is always what revenues are available to fund critical health and human services programs. That challenge is even greater now, given the recently enacted federal legislation that would significantly reduce funding and change policy related to both the Medicaid program and the Affordable Care Act health exchanges.
How do you stay grounded doing what can be challenging work?
What keeps me grounded is thinking about the clients I served back when I was a legal aid lawyer, and the fundamental premise that people like me who work for state health agencies, whether we’re Medicaid agencies, public health agencies, long term care agencies, or health insurance regulators, our duty is to serve the people in the states we live in and try to help them as much as we can.
What advice do you have for people working on state health policy today?
Number one, always agree to do the first draft. In my first year of law school, my contract’s professor, Professor Brown said, always agree to do the first draft, because ultimately your end product will be closer to your proposal. That advice has served me incredibly well throughout my career.
Number two, if you perceive a vacuum step in. By that I mean be willing to take a risk to raise a new idea or solution.
Number three, it’s going to sound super traditional, but work hard, and do your homework. Because once you establish your credibility, it’s golden.