Josh Caplan is the Director for Government Affairs at AcademyHealth, where he develops and oversees advocacy and public policy strategy. He is responsible for proposing and implementing AcademyHealth’s legislative, policy and regulatory work in support of the continued production and use of robust, rigorous and timely health services and policy research to improve health and health care. In this role, he works closely with our community and membership to ensure that Congress and Federal agencies are informed about the importance of health services research and that regulations and strategic plans are developed and implemented in thoughtful, informed, and effective ways. The Advocacy Association has named Josh as one of the top 20 advocacy professionals in Washington, DC.
Previously, Josh was the Legislative Director for the Vice-Chairwoman of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Lucille Roybal-Allard, where he managed an active legislative staff and portfolio. He worked extensively with congressional leadership and committee staff to pass top congressional priorities like H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act and H.R. 2507 the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act. Before that, he worked for six years on the Senate Budget Committee, where he was a senior analyst on income support and social safety net programs, tax policy, and the congressional budget and appropriations processes.
Josh earned his B.A. and M.A. in political science from Purdue University and his M.P.P. from the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy.