Paul Mango
Paul Mango, former deputy chief of staff for policy at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), former Chief of Staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and former senior partner at McKinsey & Company, passed away suddenly. on Thursday at the age of 65. His death shocked the world of health policy.
Mr. Mango graduated from West Point as a cadet with distinction and served in the US Army before earning his MBA from Harvard Business School. He then spent more than two decades at McKinsey & Company, where he started and expanded the firm’s healthcare business line. At HHS, among his many accomplishments, he was instrumental in delivering Operation Warp Speed, which delivered the COVID-19 vaccine in less than ten months. Most recently, he joined the transition team for President-elect Trump.
Nothing reveals a person’s true character more than how they treat people lower down the ladder of power. My interactions and Mr. Mango’s observations speak volumes. I had the privilege of inviting him to guest lecture to my students in the Healthcare Management program at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
He treated my students with dignity and respect during class and then answered each follow-up question in detail. His insights into teamwork, leadership, value creation and the US health care system – drawn from his distinguished career – inspired many young and aspiring minds. My students’ reactions speak for themselves:
“Mr. Mango’s journey highlighted the importance of integrity, collaboration and autonomy in achieving success.” “Mr. Mango gave me many eye-opening ideas. The ‘wolf pack’ style of operation is really critical to making the team hungry and cooperative. “Mr. Mango’s discussion of waste, abuse and fraud was particularly compelling. As a future healthcare provider, I will definitely keep these concepts in mind.”
I also consider myself one of his students. He was often the first of my acquaintance to send genuine comments on my newly published articles. He shared with me his book, articles and very popular quarterly memos covering major trends in healthcare. With so many competing demands on his time, he had no obligation to help a young researcher like me, yet he chose.
Beyond his exemplary character, Mr. Mango’s expert understanding of business and government, summarized below, influenced countless minds on health policy and formed a key part of his legacy.
1. Faith in American dynamism: He believed passionately in the dynamism of America’s private sector. In his words, “America’s private sector possessed the ingenuity, innovative spirit and industrial agility to rapidly address our most pressing challenges.” Indeed, the energy unleashed by a free, dynamic and competitive private sector has been—and will continue to be—the driving force behind growth and prosperity, in health care and beyond.
2. Worrying about bureaucratic friction. Deeply concerned about the negative impact of bureaucratic friction on the private sector, Mr. Mango believed that political leaders should minimize such frictions and focus on encouraging and mobilizing the private sector to generate innovation and create wealth for society.
3. Advocacy for Patient Empowerment: Mr. Mango realized that the key to improving the health of Americans is to give patients choice, control over their health care dollars and incentives for healthy behaviors while protecting high-risk individuals and with low income. His early criticism that the Affordable Care Act, by taking the opposite approach, would make unsubsidized premiums unaffordable for working-class Americans rings true today.
Mr. Mango loved snow sports and left us too soon during this snowy season. A true patriot, leader and gentleman, he touched the lives of many, leaving behind an incredible legacy and an inspirational beacon to all who fight for a healthy America.
