Deborah Walter serves as Director, Policy & Advocacy at the Cancer Support Community’s (CSC) Cancer Policy Institute, where she leads federal and state policy strategy, coalition engagement, and grassroots advocacy to advance equitable access to cancer care and psychosocial support services. She partners with policymakers, national organizations, and CSC’s network to translate research and lived experience into actionable policy solutions that reduce barriers to care and strengthen whole-person support for patients and caregivers. Having supported her husband through a serious cancer diagnosis and treatment, Deborah brings a deeply personal understanding of the emotional and practical realities of the cancer journey, reinforcing her commitment to policies that extend beyond clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Most recently, Deborah led oncology advocacy at GE HealthCare, strategically integrating reimbursement strategy, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based communications. Her efforts contributed to CMS unbundling outpatient payments and establishing separate reimbursement pathways for select therapies, enhancing patient access and advancing Medicare payment reform.

She brings more than 15 years of experience spanning the pharmaceutical, precision diagnostics, and health policy sectors, grounded in deep expertise in oncology and Medicare payment policy. Her career began as a policy analyst at the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), advising the U.S. Congress on Medicare policy, and later overseeing government affairs and advocacy engagement for the Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC). Across these roles, she has built bipartisan coalitions, shaped complex legislative and regulatory initiatives, mobilized advocacy and employer communities, and represented diverse stakeholders before federal and state policymakers to advance sustainable, patient-centered health policy reforms. Her work has earned national media recognition positioning her company as a leading advocate and policy “powerhouse.” She has also contributed to the broader healthcare dialogue through multiple peer-reviewed journal publications and authorship of national policy report chapters.

Deborah holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Victoria, Canada and resides in the Washington, DC metro area. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling internationally with her family, having visited more than 20 countries.