David Seltz

Mr. David Seltz is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC). Mr. Seltz leads the HPC’s significant mission of health care policy reform, cost containment efforts, and market oversight by providing data-driven policy recommendations, overseeing innovative investment programs, and conducting research and analysis into the cost drivers and trends in health care. The HPC’s goal is better health and better care – at a lower cost – for all residents across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Mr. Seltz was appointed in 2012 as the first leader of this new state government agency, directing the HPC through its establishment and into its current role as a nationally recognized leader in landmark health policy and health care reform efforts. To date, eight other states have established cost benchmarking programs with monitoring agencies modeled after the HPC, and several additional states are actively considering similar measures. Mr. Seltz continues to lend counsel and guidance to other states and countries crafting health policy reforms.

Since the HPC’s establishment in 2012, health care cost growth in Massachusetts has been below U.S. averages almost every year, resulting in billions of dollars in savings for local businesses, families, and individuals. Additionally, the HPC has invested nearly $100 million in innovative care delivery models, aimed at addressing the medical, behavioral, and social needs of the state’s most vulnerable and complex patients.

Prior to leading the HPC, Mr. Seltz was the Special Advisor on Health Care for Governor Deval Patrick and Senate President Therese Murray. Through these positions, Mr. Seltz advised the passage of historic health care access reform legislation in 2006, which served as the basis for the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Subsequently, he worked on landmark cost containment legislation in Massachusetts, which has also become a model of success for many states.

Mr. Seltz is a 2003 graduate of Boston College and originally from Minnesota. He was a recipient of Modern HealthCare’s 2015 Up and Comer Award, which recognizes young executives that have made significant contributions in the areas of healthcare administration, management, or policy, as well as a recipient of the Massachusetts Health Council’s 100^th Anniversary Health Care Star Award (2020) in recognition of outstanding leadership toward improving and protecting health in Massachusetts. In 2020, Mr. Seltz helped lead the state’s COVID-19 response and recovery efforts alongside other state and federal leaders.

Mr. Seltz also serves as a designated member of the Oversight Council to the Massachusetts Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) and as a member of the Executive Committee to the National Academy of State Health Policy (NASHP).