Families USA Foundation (Families USA) is a nonprofit organization that promotes left-of-center health care policy at the state and federal level. ¹ Families USA also runs a lobbying and electoral advocacy organization, Families USA Action.

Families USA pushes for left-of-center reform through health policy analysis and public education campaigns. ² Families USA was one of the architects of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and has since started several campaigns to prevent the controversial law from being repealed or substantially modified in a free-market fashion. ^{3 4} Families USA has also worked towards the expansion of Medicare and Medicaid and for regulating prescription drug prices. ^{5 6 7}

Despite being purportedly nonpartisan, Families USA is deeply involved in the left-of-center organizing community and has taken direct shots at Republican health care initiatives. In a 2017 bid aimed at preventing the repeal of Obamacare, Families USA published a cartoon featuring a group of elephants (symbolic of the Republican Party) drilling away at a hilltop labeled “Obamacare,” threatening the lives of numerous individuals on top of the hill. ⁸ Moreover, Families USA had led coalitions featuring some of the most prominent members of the political left, including the AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the Center for American Progress. ^{9 10} Families USA Action founder and president Philippe Villers is also well-connected in the left-of-center organizing community, sitting as a member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) President’s Committee and the Concord Democratic Town Committee. ¹¹

Obamacare

Families USA is a longtime proponent of the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, and was credited by left-progressive outlet Vox as “instrumental in organizing advocates and industry in support of the Affordable Care Act.” ¹² The foundation has also repeatedly signed letters to Congress to oppose efforts to repeal or modify the controversial legislation in a free-market direction. ¹³

In 2017, Families USA launched the #ProtectOurCare campaign to oppose Republican efforts to reform federal health coverage. ¹⁴ Despite being purportedly nonpartisan, the campaign headline cartoon features a group of elephants (symbolic of the Republican Party) drilling away at a hilltop labeled “Obamacare,” threatening the lives of numerous individuals on top of the hill. ¹⁵ The campaign also provided organizing toolkits, encouraging supporters to engage in direct action. ¹⁶

Aside from direct advocacy in favor of Obamacare, Families USA launched the National Center for Coverage Innovation (NCCI) to protect and expand access to government-run health care, pushing for automatic enrollment programs. ¹⁷ Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, has repeatedly advocated for large-scale federal enrollment programs, helping to launch another organization called Enroll America designed exclusively to convince citizens to enroll in the ACA. ¹⁸

Expanding Federal Programs

Families USA consistently advocates for the expansion of federal health insurance program, specifically Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). ^{19 20} Families USA is the founder of the Medicaid Coalition, a group of over 400 left-of-center organizations that routinely opposes any measures to decrease government spending on health care. ²¹ The coalition includes groups like the AFL-CIO, the National LGBTQ Task Force, and Planned Parenthood Federation of American. ²²

Families USA has worked directly on state Medicaid expansion, claiming a “leadership role in organizing and securing the recent Medicaid expansions in Utah, Idaho, and Nebraska.” ²³ The foundation started the Medicaid Expansion Leadership Team (MELT) to push for further expansion, claiming that doing so will “strengthen a national support for health care coverage.” ²⁴ Families USA provides a complete toolkit for activists working on Medicaid expansion. ²⁵

Since 2015, Families USA has also argued for the expansion of Medicare in all states. ²⁶ Families USA has also advocated for expanding the scope of Medicare, joining the Medicare Oral Health Coalition to expand oral health services to all Medicare enrollees. ²⁷

Prescription Drug Regulations

Since 2015, Families USA has been involved in the push to decrease prescription drug prices. ^{28 29} Alongside advocating for federal regulations, Families USA has also organized the Prescription Drug Pricing Collaborative, a coalition of state-based organizations pushing for state regulations on prescription drug prices. ³⁰

Families USA has taken direct steps to organize left-of-center pharmaceutical policy reform at the federal level, forming the Coalition for Fair Drug Prices in 2019. ³¹ The coalition’s “Statement of Principles” argues that regulations should be placed on manufacturer pricing. ³² The coalition counts some of the most prominent left-wing organizations in the country among its members, including the AFL-CIO, the SEIU, the Center for American Progress, and Public Citizen. ³³

People and Funding

Families USA counted $2,354,308 in contributions in 2018, in addition to $314,773 in revenue from various conferences and services and over $2 million in revenue from investments and assets sales. ³⁴ Philippe Villers is the current president of Families USA. ³⁵ Villers is the founder of the company Computervision,. Villers founded and funded the Families USA Foundation in 1981, endowing the advocacy group with $40 million. ^{36 37}

Villers is a prominent left-progressive activist, sitting as a member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) President’s Committee. ³⁸ Villers is also one of the members of Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength, an organization of high-net worth individuals calling for substantial tax increases. ³⁹ In 2016 alone, Villers donated nearly $60,000 to Democratic organizations, including the Democratic Congressional Campaigns Committee (DCCC), the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and ActBlue. ⁴⁰

Families USA’s executive director is Federick Isasi. Prior to Isasi taking over, Ron Pollack worked as executive director for the organization since it was founded in 1982. ⁴¹ In 1997, former President Bill Clinton appointed Pollack to a 34-member panel to draft a “bill of rights for health care consumers.” ⁴² Pollack has a long history of political organizing, being named one of the nine top nonprofit lobbyists in the country. ⁴³

1. “About Families USA.” Families USA, June 30, 2020. https://familiesusa.org/about/.
2. “About Families USA.” Families USA, June 30, 2020. https://familiesusa.org/about/.
3. Kliff, Sarah. “After Obamacare: The next Democratic Health Agenda.” Vox, February 23, 2015. https://www.vox.com/2015/2/23/8082769/obamacare-democrats-priorities.
4. Kliff, Sarah. “After Obamacare: The next Democratic Health Agenda.” Vox, February 23, 2015. https://www.vox.com/2015/2/23/8082769/obamacare-democrats-priorities.
5. “Medicare.” Families USA, August 11, 2020. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/medicare/.
6. “Medicaid.” Families USA, August 10, 2020. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/medicaid/.
7. Kliff, Sarah. “After Obamacare: The next Democratic Health Agenda.” Vox, February 23, 2015. https://www.vox.com/2015/2/23/8082769/obamacare-democrats-priorities.
8. “Defending Health Care.” Families USA, October 3, 2019. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/defending-health-care/.
9. “Health Care Stakeholders Oppose Affordable Care Act.” Families USA. July 12, 2018. https://familiesusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Health_Care_Stakeholders_Oppose_Affordable_Care_Act_Repeal_7-12-18.pdf
10. “Coalition for Fair Drug Prices.” Families USA, January 30, 2020. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/coalition-fair-drug-pricess/.
11. “Philippe Villers.” Loop. Frontier Media SA. Accessed July 16, 2020. https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/113563/bio.
12. Kliff, Sarah. “After Obamacare: The next Democratic Health Agenda.” Vox, February 23, 2015. https://www.vox.com/2015/2/23/8082769/obamacare-democrats-priorities.
13. “Defending Health Care.” Families USA, October 3, 2019. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/defending-health-care/.
14. “Defending Health Care.” Families USA, October 3, 2019. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/defending-health-care/
15. “Defending Health Care.” Families USA, October 3, 2019. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/defending-health-care/.
16. “Defending Health Care.” Families USA, October 3, 2019. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/defending-health-care/.
17. Young, Jeffrey. “Prognosis Unclear.” HuffPost. Verizon Media, October 8, 2012. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/prognosis-unclear_n_1765439?guccounter=1.
18. Young, Jeffrey. “Prognosis Unclear.” HuffPost. Verizon Media, October 8, 2012. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/prognosis-unclear_n_1765439?guccounter=1.
19. “Medicare.” Families USA, August 11, 2020. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/medicare/.
20. “Medicaid.” Families USA, August 10, 2020. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/medicaid/.
21. “Medicaid Coalition.” Families USA, December 12, 2019. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/medicaid-coalition/.
22. “Health Care Stakeholders Oppose Affordable Care Act.” Families USA. July 12, 2018. https://familiesusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Health_Care_Stakeholders_Oppose_Affordable_Care_Act_Repeal_7-12-18.pdf
23. “Medicaid Expansion Leadership Team (MELT).” Families USA, October 9, 2019. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/medicaid-expansion-leadership-team/.
24. “Medicaid Expansion Leadership Team (MELT).” Families USA, October 9, 2019. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/medicaid-expansion-leadership-team/.
25. “Medicaid Expansion Leadership Team (MELT).” Families USA, October 9, 2019. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/medicaid-expansion-leadership-team/.
26. West, Sean. “Childless Adults Biggest Winners under Medicaid Expansion.” FierceHealthPayer, January 23, 2015. http://fiercehealthpayer.com/story/childless-adults-biggest-winners-under-medicaid-expansion/2015-01-23.
27. “Medicare Oral Health Coalition.” Families USA, August 18, 2020. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/medicare-oral-health-coalition/.
28. “Prescription Drugs.” Families USA, October 16, 2019. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/prescription-drug-costs/.
29. Kliff, Sarah. “After Obamacare: The Next Democratic Health Agenda.” Vox, February 23, 2015. https://www.vox.com/2015/2/23/8082769/obamacare-democrats-priorities.
30. “Prescription Drugs.” Families USA, October 16, 2019. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/prescription-drug-costs/.
31. “Coalition for Fair Drug Prices.” Families USA, January 30, 2020. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/coalition-fair-drug-pricess/.
32. “Coalition for Fair Drug Prices Statement of Principles.” Coalition for Fair Drug Prices. 2019. https://familiesusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Principles_032519.pdf
33. “Coalition for Fair Drug Prices.” Families USA, January 30, 2020. https://familiesusa.org/our-work/coalition-fair-drug-pricess/.
34. “Families USA Action.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, Form 990. 2018. Part VIII.
35. “Families USA Action.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, Form 990. 2018. Part VII, Section A, Line 1.
36. “Philippe Villers.” Loop. Frontier Media SA. Accessed July 16, 2020. https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/113563/bio.
37. Lewin, Tamar. “Hybrid Organization Serves as a Conductor for the Health Care Orchestra.” The New York Times, July 28, 1994. https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/28/us/health-care-debate-behind-scenes-hybrid-organization-serves-conductor-for-health.html.
38. “Philippe Villers.” Loop. Frontier Media SA. Accessed July 16, 2020. https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/113563/bio.
39. Borchers, Callum. “Millionaires from Mass. Join Call to Raise Their Tax Rates.” Boston.com. The Boston Globe, April 16, 2012. http://archive.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2012/04/16/millionaires_from_mass_join_call_to_raise_their_tax_rates/.
40. “Philippe Villers Political Campaign Contributions 2016 Election Cycle.” CampaignMoney.com. Accessed July 16, 2020. https://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/philippe-villers.asp?cycle=16.
41. “The Big Fix: Health Care.” WAMU. WAMU 88.5: American University Radio, January 12, 2013. https://wamu.org/story/13/01/12/the_big_fix_health_care/.
42. Pear, Robert. “Clinton Names Panel to Draft Health Consumer Bill of Rights.” The New York Times, March 27, 1997. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/27/us/clinton-names-panel-to-draft-health-consumer-bill-of-rights.html.
43. “The Big Fix: Health Care.” WAMU. WAMU 88.5: American University Radio, January 12, 2013. https://wamu.org/story/13/01/12/the_big_fix_health_care/.