Advocacy Options’ owner and Principal Consultant is Lawrence (Larry) A.
LaMotte, a seasoned and successful advocate and businessman who has been
involved in health care policy issues for over 30 years. As a twelve-year
elected member of the House of Delegates of Maryland, Larry chaired the
subcommittee on health and environment of the Environmental Matters Committee
(Now Health and Government Operations committee) for eight years. Virtually
every piece of health care policy legislation went before his committee and
contains his “fingerprints”.
Even while working in a non-health field, Larry maintained involvement with
health care and health policy issues serving as a Board member for a MedStar
Health System hospital in Baltimore and the board of a community health
provider.
Larry later joined the Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF) as Vice President
of Public Policy. He was responsible for all advocacy and public matters that
might create obstacles to patient access to care, including Federal and State
legislation, regulatory oversight of rule-making and private and public health
insurance policy guidelines.
Under Larry’s advocacy leadership, the Medicare IVIG Access Act, which
established a demonstration project allowing Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG)
home infusions, was passed and signed into law by the President as a
stand-alone Medicare bill in 2012. It was the first time that Congress had
mandated a program for Medicare’s demonstration project protocol. In 2017, that
act was extended by Congress. Larry also was a leader in passing legislation in
2018 that corrected an unintended consequence of the 21st Century Cures law
that was passed in 2016.
His success has not been limited to Federal activities. In 2010 Larry
led the successful effort to have newborn screening for babies with Severe
Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID – also known as “bubble-boy disease’) in all 50
states and territories. After an eight-year campaign, every state in the
union is now screening every newborn baby for SCID saving the lives of hundreds
of babies every year in the US.
He also organized and successfully led the American Plasma Users Coalition
which advocated for blood and plasma safety for people who need plasma
treatment. Larry also coordinated the Patients for Biologics Safety and Access
coalition which provided a voice for its 22 national patient organization
members in the FDA’s development of the new biosimilars pathway to market.
He has participated in the leadership of two other coalitions
in Nevada and Iowa on decreasing out-of-pocket costs.
Larry has advocated successfully on behalf of patients for better payer
policies that reflect appropriate standards of medical care for people with
rare diseases.
Larry’s expertise assists healthcare stakeholders to achieve their policy and advocacy goals. We feel lucky to have Larry join our team and look forward to our work together.
Tom McCoy
Executive Director, State Government Affairs, Nevada
We are so excited to announce Tom McCoy, JD as the Executive Director, State Government Affairs for Nevada. As elected Chair of the Steering Committee, Tom has been instrumental in the formation and continuing of the Nevada Chronic Care Collaborative. Tom’s strong leadership and invaluable expertise stems from his decades-long diverse policy and advocacy work for patients with chronic illness.
Beyond his work with the NCCC, Tom worked as the Nevada Director of Government Relations for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network for twelve years. His responsibilities included advocacy work at the Nevada State Legislature, state agencies, local governments, and cancer policy issues with the Nevada congressional delegation. Tom is the Chair of the State of Nevada Advisory Council on Wellness and the Prevention of Chronic Disease; Chair of the Patient Centered Medical Home Committee; Member, State of Nevada Grants Management Advisory Committee; Member, Nevada Division of Insurance Network Adequacy Advisory Council; Board Member, Nevada Cancer Coalition; Co-Chair Nevada Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease; and Board Member, Nevada Tobacco Prevention Coalition. These roles speak to his dedication to refining the healthcare space with stakeholders across the industry to be most accessible, most affordable, and of the highest quality for all Nevadans.
Additionally, Tom’s professional experience has included: Attorney for the Federal Communications Commission, Vice President & General Counsel, Golden West Broadcasters, Vice President, Broadcaster Congressional Relations, National Association of Broadcasters, Vice President, Network Operations, Financial News Network (became CNBC), Assistant Professor; and various radio-television positions.
He holds a BA and MA in Mass Communication/Media Studies from the University of Oklahoma, and a JD from Oklahoma City University School of Law. With his extensive knowledge of the intricacies of the healthcare system, combined with his passion and empathic approach to the patient experience, Tom is an incredible, tireless advocate. Please join with us in welcoming Tom to his new leadership role.
Meet Our Summer Interns
Brittney Desselle
Undergraduate Intern – Communications and Public Policy
Brittney Desselle is a third-year undergraduate college student at California State University, Chico, pursuing a degree in communication studies public affairs, along with a minor in public health.
Her passion for patient access to care stems from her own battle with health. At fourteen years old, Brittney was diagnosed with severe Ulcerative Colitis, a chronic autoimmune disease of the colon. She has reached remission, but that does not stop her drive for patient advocacy.
She created and ran a pediatric support group and volunteers each summer at Camp Go Beyond, a summer camp for children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. She has interned in the past with Perry Communications Group, the California Chronic Care Coalition, and the California Senate Republican Caucus communications office. While interning with the California Chronic Care Coalition, Brittney worked on the California Independent Medical Review Results publication in 2019.
She plans to further her higher education with a graduate program in public affairs. In her role as an intern with the California Chronic Care Coalition, Brittney will be involved in outreach, research and data analysis, and integrating partnerships to further vital projects of the CCCC. Brittney has been such an asset to our CCCC team in the past and we are so excited to welcome her back.
Hailey Macho
Program Assistant – Summer Intern Program
Hailey Macho is an incoming high school junior at New Braunfels High School where she is passionate about health, science, and helping her community.
Hailey has excelled academically with a 4.0 GPA throughout her education and has ranked consistently in the top 1% of her class. She has been involved in the National Junior and National Honor Societies which require achievement in scholarship, service, leadership, and character qualifications. She has also participated in the University Interscholastic League, Science Olympiad, Business Professionals of America, and was inducted into the Youth Leadership New Braunfels Program. Hailey also was elected as President of her chapter’s LEO club, Vice President of the Health Occupations Students of America club, and participated in her school’s Student Council.
In addition to her leadership and academic achievements, she has been recognized by her peers, her school, and her community for her exceptional citizenship, grades, and ethical conduct. Some recognitions include the New Braunfels Citizenship Award Nominee, Outstanding Student Award, and receiving the State Alternate Award for her work as a part of the Presentation Management Team for the Business Professionals of America Leadership Conference. She also is particularly proud of her past involvement in HOPE Squad, a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program that she was nominated for by her classmates based on her trustworthiness and empathic communication skills.
She is proud to be a part of a military family, which has afforded her the opportunity to live and experience many beautiful and diverse cultures within the U.S. and around the world.
Hailey has aspirations to pursue a career in the medical field, but is generally interested in science, law, and business. She is bilingual in Spanish and hopes to expand her language proficiencies by learning Mandarin Chinese. Outside of her extensive involvement in academics and professional and community organizations, she enjoys studying art history, creative writing, painting, sketching, reading, international travel, volunteering, and making music.
In her role as an intern with the California Chronic Care Coalition, Hailey will be involved in data collection, research, writing, and design for some of our upcoming projects focused on public policy and patient education during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. We are so excited to have Hailey join our team and we hope you will join us in welcoming her.
