Mark Hayes

Mark Hayes is the senior vice president of government relations at Kaiser Permanente. In this role, he leads Kaiser Permanente’s work with policymakers and trade associations nationwide, shaping advocacy and legislative strategy that supports the organization’s mission and distinct brand of value-based care.

Hayes brings more than 3 decades of experience in health law, policy, and advocacy across federal and private‑sector roles. Before joining Kaiser Permanente in 2025, he served as senior vice president for policy and advocacy at Ascension, where he led federal and state policy strategy. Earlier in his career, he worked on the staff of 4 U.S. senators and spent 8 years as health policy director and chief health counsel for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. In that role, Hayes was a principal architect of the Medicare Advantage program and the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, and played a key role in developing and advancing major health legislation, including the Medicare Modernization Act and the Affordable Care Act.

Hayes holds a Juris Doctor from the American University Washington College of Law and a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy from the University of Missouri–Kansas City. He serves on the board of directors for the Trauma Care Association of America, the executive committee for the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, and as board president for Telehealth Access for America.