About: Anthony Wright
Website: http://www.health-access.org/
Profile: Anthony Wright serves as executive director for Health Access California, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, working on behalf of the insured and uninsured, made up of over 200 organizations representing seniors, children, working families, people with disabilities, immigrants, people of faith, labor, and communities of color. Under Wright’s leadership since 2002, Health Access has been a leader in efforts to fight health care budget cuts, to expand both employer-based coverage and public insurance programs, to advance consumer protections, and to address the causes of medical debt. For example, his work on hospital overcharging and abusive billing and collections practices led to both to legislative action and hospital guidelines on the issue. Recently, he served as co-chair and campaign manager for the No on 78/Yes on 79 initiative effort, facing the prescription drug industry and the most expensive ballot campaign in the nation’s history. Wright’s background is as a consumer advocate and community organizer, and he has been widely quoted in local and national media on a range of issues. He served as program director for New Jersey Citizen Action. As coordinator of New Jersey’s health care consumer coalition, he ran successful campaigns to win HMO patient protections, defeat for-profit takeovers of nonprofit hospitals and Blue Cross Blue Shield, pass a law to govern hospital conversions and acquisitions, and expand coverage for low- and moderate-income children and parents. Wright also worked at the Center for Media Education in Washington, DC, The Nation magazine in New York, and in Vice President Gore's office in the White House. Born and raised in the Bronx, Wright graduated from Amherst College magna cum laude in both English and Sociology.