Sumi Sousa

Sumi Sousa is a respected health care leader devoted to making California’s health care system more affordable and accessible to all, with deep experience in conceptualizing and implementing state and local health care programs. She served 12 years as an executive to the San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP), San Francisco’s largest public Medi-Cal managed care plan, leading multiple pre- and post Affordable Care Act (ACA) CA implementation initiatives, including the Medi-Cal expansion, plan strategy and government relations. At SFHP, she partnered closely with the San Francisco Department of Public Health in administering the groundbreaking Healthy San Francisco Program for uninsured adults and the $1.8 billion San Francisco City Option program that increases health care affordability to San Francisco workers.

Prior to joining the SFHP, she served as the principal health policy advisor to four Assembly Speakers where she focused on expanding access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance and the health budget. At a time of severe state budget crises that would have eliminated critical Medi-Cal services to vulnerable Californians, Sumi successfully managed bipartisan legislative efforts that brought in critical federal funds to stave off catastrophic program reductions, including the first Managed Care Organization Tax and multiple federal waivers. Sumi staffed California’s legislation implementing the ACA in California, including the legislation establishing Covered California.

Sumi served 4 years as Executive Director to the California Health Facilities Financing Authority that provides financial assistance to non-profit health facilities and is the issuer of tax-exempt debt for California’s non-profit hospitals and health systems. She was a budget analyst in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Budget and Public Finance focusing on health and human services. She has served in a variety of legislative roles, including committee consultant to the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee.

Sumi has served on multiple state boards, including the California Health Facilities Financing Authority, the Little Hoover Commission, and the California Children and Families Commission (State First 5). She is a former board member of the Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project. She grew up in Gilroy, CA and is the product of the state’s public school system. She is a longtime resident of San Francisco.