Paragon Health Institute is a health-policy research institute that claims to advocate for, “evaluating government programs, developing policies, and working within government to implement reforms.” ¹ Paragon’s initiatives include public health, private health insurance, Medicare reform, and Medicaid policy change. ²

Activities

Paragon Health Institute is a health-policy research institute that claims to advocate for, “evaluating government programs, developing policies, and working within government to implement reforms.” ¹ Paragon’s initiatives include public health, private health insurance, Medicare reform, and Medicaid policy change. ²

On March 3, 2025, Paragon published a report estimating that improper Medicaid payments were double the amount reported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) over the last ten years, nearly $1.1 trillion versus the $543 billion reported by CMS. The report states that CMS did not factor in eligibility checks, claiming those were the biggest source of payment errors, largely caused by the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which discouraged states from properly determining applicant eligibility for Medicaid. Paragon recommends that policymakers protect those truly eligible for Medicaid by requiring states to conduct eligibility redeterminations for enrollees more frequently and requiring CMS to reduce states’ Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP) if they exceed a reasonable rate of improper Medicaid payments. ³

Funding

Paragon Health Institute is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While Paragon does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Seminar Network (now Stand Together, which donated $1.95 million in 2021), ⁴ the 85 Fund ($1 million in 2022), ⁵ and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation ($150,000 in 2023). ⁶

Leadership

Brian Blase is the president of Paragon Health Institute as of 2025. He previously worked as a policy advisor to Hoosiers for Affordable Health Care and was a visiting fellow at the Foundation for Government Accountability. Blase previously worked as a special assistant to the president for economic policy at the White House’s National Economic Council from 2017-2019, and a health policy analyst for the Senate Republican Policy Committee. Blase formerly held positions at the Mercatus Center and the Heritage Foundation. ⁷

Joseph Grogan was the chair of the board of Paragon and a senior fellow at the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at the University of Southern California. Grogan formerly worked as director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council and associate director for health policy at the Office of Management and Budget during the first Trump administration and as special assistant to the FDA Commissioner and executive director of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS during the George W. Bush administration. ⁸

Daniel Rothschild is a Paragon board member as of 2025, He also serves as executive vice president of the Mercatus Center, where he formerly worked as executive director. Rothschild previously worked as director of state projects at the R Street Institute and director of external affairs and coalitions at the American Enterprise Institute. ⁹

Christina Sandefur is a Paragon board member, as of 2025, and is the executive vice president at the Goldwater Institute and a co-drafter of the Right to Try initiative. Sandefur sits on the board of the Network of Enlightened Women and the Phoenix Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society. Sandefur is a member of the executive committee of the Federalist Society’s Regulatory Transparency Project: FDA and Health and of the Arizona State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. ¹⁰

Other members of the board as of 2025 included Lester Shannon and David Steffy. Jenny DeBerry is the former vice president of the board. ¹¹

1. “About.” Paragon Health Institute. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://paragoninstitute.org/about/
2. “Home.” Paragon Health Institute. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://paragoninstitute.org/.
3. Blase, Brian and Greszler, Rachel. “Medicaid’s True Improper Payments Double Those Reported by CMS.” Paragon Health Institute, March 3, 2025. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://paragoninstitute.org/medicaid/medicaids-true-improper-payments-likely-double-those-reported-by-cms/.
4. Seminar Network Inc, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2021, Schedule I, Part II.
5. The 85 Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2022, Schedule I, Part II.
6. Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2023, Part XV, Line 3.
7. “Brian Blase.” Paragon Health Institute. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://paragoninstitute.org/profile/brian-blase/.
8. “Joe Grogan.” Paragon Health Institute. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://paragoninstitute.org/profile/joe-grogan/.
9. “Daniel M. Rothschild.” Mercatus Center. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.mercatus.org/people/daniel-m-rothschild.
10. “Christina Sandefur.” Goldwater Institute. Accessed April 1, 2025. https://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/our-team/christina-sandefur/.
11.  Paragon Health Institute, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.