Holly Merbaum, Director, Government Affairs

Holly Merbaum serves as Director, Government Affairs, at Capitol Decisions Inc. Ms. Merbaum’s responsibilities include advocacy and research to help CDI’s clients achieve their legislative and regulatory objectives.

At CDI, Ms. Merbaum played a key role in the passage of legislation that requires insurance companies to treat mental illness and substance use disorders no differently than other medical conditions. As part of that effort, Ms. Merbaum ran the grassroots operation supporting the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. She is expert in tracking and researching complex health care appropriation and authorization legislation.

Previously, Ms. Merbaum had interned for the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. She designed and implemented an outreach campaign to make Wheaton College students aware of the risks associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy. She also interned both for the Attorney General of Connecticut and for Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman in his Washington, D.C., office, where she handled correspondence with the Senator’s constituents.
Ms. Merbaum grew up in Harwinton, Conn., and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. She earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.