Jennifer Tolbert is a Principal Policy Analyst at the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, a major initiative of the Kaiser Family Foundation. The Commission functions as a policy institute and forum providing information and analysis on health insurance coverage and access to care for low-income people. Ms. Tolbert identifies policy opportunities for the Commission, conceptualizes and writes Commission publications, and directs some of the Commission’s research. Her work focuses on the uninsured, including tracking state coverage initiatives, provider issues, and Medicaid financing.

Previously, Ms. Tolbert served as the Assistant Vice President for Policy at the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, where she directed policy development, analysis, and research on issues relating to safety net hospital financing and operations, including Medicaid, Medicare, immigration, quality of care, cultural competence, and care for the uninsured. Before that, she worked in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services where she advised the Assistant Secretary on Medicaid and SCHIP policy issues and issues related to the health and insurance status of low-income populations. She has also held positions with the University of Michigan, School of Public Health and the Michigan House of Representatives, where she worked on state health care reform legislation. Ms. Tolbert holds Masters’ degrees in Public Health and Social Work from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia.