Lisa Shapiro Vice President, Health Policy

Lisa Shapiro has more than 15 years of experience working in the public, non-profit and private sectors on federal health policy issues with a primary focus on children, the uninsured and underserved populations. Since 2007, Lisa’s work at First Focus has centered on efforts to improve health coverage for low-income children through public programs, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid. Lisa also works on public health issues affecting children, including child nutrition, obesity, environmental health, and asthma. Lisa also focuses on Affordable Care Act implementation issues related to children. From grassroots advocacy and strategic policy engagement to providing technical assistance for public and non-profit stakeholders, Lisa is a well-regarded expert on policy and strategy regarding child health coverage systems.
Prior to joining First Focus, on Capitol Hill, Lisa was a congressional fellow in the office of Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) where she assisted in the development of legislation on a broad range of health issues, including proposals to: improve Medicaid and CHIP outreach and enrollment systems, increase funding for programs to counter the childhood obesity epidemic; ensure prescription drug coverage for children eligible for Medicare Part D; maintain Medicaid coverage for foster care children and infants born to immigrant mothers eligible for emergency Medicaid; increase the availability of federal Medicaid funds for states during economic recession; and protect essential funding streams for safety net providers.
In the private sector, Lisa formulated policy for non-profit clients and advocated on issues to preserve and extend the health care safety net and improve access to health care services for underserved populations. She also provided strategic policy advice to national voluntary health organizations on public health concerns, including health promotion and chronic disease prevention.
Lisa also worked for the Society for Women’s Health Research on a broad range of legislative and regulatory issues related to women’s health, maternal and child health and biomedical research.
Lisa has an M.P.A. from the Virginia Tech Center for Public Administration and Policy. She received her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Lisa lives in Arlington, VA with her husband Hal and two sons.
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP): Setting the Record Straight
Carrie Fitzgerald (Former Staff), Lisa Shapiro | September 18, 2017 |
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides health insurance coverage for over 9 million low income children and pregnant women. CHIP is a success …
Key Facts about the CHIP Program
Lisa Shapiro | August 30, 2017 |
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was enacted by a bipartisan group of lawmakers as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (P.L. …
The Fate of CHIP: 17 Legislative Days Till CHIP Funding Expires
Carrie Fitzgerald (Former Staff), Lisa Shapiro, Campaign for Children | August 30, 2017 |
After a busy spring and summer on Capitol Hill, the halls of Congress are quiet this week. But that will change very quickly when …
CBO Scores Senate Health Bill: Catastrophic Cuts Will Harm Children’s Health
Bruce Lesley, Carrie Fitzgerald (Former Staff), Lisa Shapiro | June 26, 2017 |
(WASHINGTON, DC) – The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates 22 million people who are currently insured would lose their health coverage by 2026 under …
Top Children’s Groups Tell House Subcommittee on Health: Save and Extend CHIP
Carrie Fitzgerald (Former Staff), Lisa Shapiro | June 13, 2017 |
As the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health meets to discuss extending safety net health programs, First Focus and seven of the largest …
First Focus and 1200+ Groups Asks Congress to Save CHIP
Carrie Fitzgerald (Former Staff), Lisa Shapiro | June 12, 2017 |
More than 1,200 organizations from all 50 states today sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to protect the 8.9 million children who …
First Focus & Children’s Groups Urge Senate to Adopt “Jimmy Kimmel Test”
Carrie Fitzgerald (Former Staff), Lisa Shapiro | June 12, 2017 |
First Focus and seven of the largest national groups concerned about children’s health sent the following letter today to Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in …
Children’s Health: Impact of the President’s FY 18 Budget Request
Lisa Shapiro | May 24, 2017 |
President Trump sent his first budget proposal to Congress earlier this week. The FY 2018 budget request calls for $4.1 trillion to fund government …
Trump Budget Harms Kids & Families by Slashing $1.5 Trillion from Medicaid and CHIP
Carrie Fitzgerald (Former Staff), Lisa Shapiro | May 23, 2017 |
The FY 2018 budget proposal released today by the Trump Administration includes a host of provisions that would dramatically cut health care access, coverage, …
#CHIPworks Toolkit: Tell Congress to Extend CHIP Funding
Lisa Shapiro | April 28, 2017 |
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has enjoyed strong, bipartisan support for decades, and ensures that children have access to health benefits like well-child …