Paul Mango, former Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and former Chief of Staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), passed away unexpectedly on Thursday at the age of 65. His passing sent shockwaves through the health policy world.
Mr. Mango graduated from West Point as a Distinguished Cadet and served in the U.S. Army before earning his MBA from Harvard Business School. He then spent more than two decades at McKinsey & Company, where he initiated and expanded the firm’s healthcare line of business. 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. More recently, he joined the transition team for President-elect Trump.
Nothing reveals a person’s true character more than how they treat people lower on the power ladder. My interactions with and observations of Mr. Mango speak volumes. I had the privilege of inviting him to deliver guest lectures to my students in the Health Care Management program at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
He treated my students with kindness and respect during class and answered every follow-up question in detail afterward. His insights on teamwork, leadership, value creation and the U.S. healthcare system—gleaned from his illustrious career—inspired many young and aspiring minds. My students’ feedback speaks for itself. For example:
“Mr. Mango’s journey highlighted the importance of integrity, collaboration and autonomy in achieving success.” “Mr. Mango gave me many eye-opening ideas. The ‘pack of wolves’ style of operating is really critical to make the team hungry and collaborative.” “Mr. Mango’s discussion about waste, abuse and fraud was particularly compelling. As a future healthcare provider, I’ll definitely keep these concepts in my mind.”
I also consider myself one of his students. He was often the first among my acquaintances to send genuine feedback on my new publications. He shared with me his book, articles and widely popular quarterly memos that covered major healthcare trends. With numerous competing demands on his time, he had no obligation to help a junior researcher like me, yet he chose to.
Beyond his exemplary character, Mr. Mango’s expert understanding of business and government, summarized below, influenced countless minds in health policy and formed a key part of his legacy.
1. Faith in American dynamism: He passionately believed in the dynamism of America’s private sector. In his own words, “America’s private sector possessed the ingenuity, innovative spirit and industrial dexterity 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 healthcare and beyond.
2. Concern about Bureaucratic Frictions. Deeply aware of the negative impact of bureaucratic frictions on the private sector, Mr. Mango believed that political leaders should minimize such frictions and focus on incentivizing and mobilizing the private sector to generate innovation and create wealth for society.
3. Advocacy for Patient Empowerment: Mr. Mango recognized that the key to improving Americans’ health is giving patients the option to choose, control over their healthcare dollars, and incentives for healthy behaviors, while protecting high-risk, low-income individuals. His early criticism that the Affordable Care Act, by taking the opposite approaches, would make unsubsidized premiums unaffordable for working-class Americans rings true today.
Mr. Mango greatly enjoyed snow sports and left us too soon during this snowy season. A patriot, leader and true gentleman, he touched the lives of many, leaving behind a tremendous legacy and an inspiring beacon for all striving for a healthy America.
