Bridgette advises clients in the health insurance industry, including managed care organizations, PBMs, and integrated delivery systems, ACOs, and providers on a variety of regulatory, fraud and abuse, and business planning matters. Her practice centers on compliance with federal health care program regulatory requirements, with a focus on reimbursement issues and value-based contracting.
Bridgette regularly counsels clients regarding risk-adjusted reimbursement programs and the practices that support them, including Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) and ACOs participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Bridgette has experience conducting and defending investigations regarding fraud and abuse issues, including billing compliance related to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE. She also works closely with discount medical plans (DMPOs) and other clients in the health care industry on matters relating to compliance with state regulations.
Bridgette is interested in value-based healthcare. She works closely with payors, providers, and ACOs, on a variety of innovative collaborations and has experience negotiating and papering these relationships.
With a background in health care operations, Bridgette is able to provide clients with practical insight that includes a focus on the business implications of health care regulatory and compliance, internal investigations, and fraud and abuse analyses of proposed new procedures. Bridgette applies her experience in health system administration and ethics in health care to her health law practice. Prior to practicing law, she worked as a health care ethicist at the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Ethics in Health Care (NCEHC) and held other health system operations positions within VHA.
Most recently, Bridgette began hosting Health Law Diagnosed, Mintz’s health law podcast and she is a frequent author on Mintz’s Health Law Viewpoints.
Experience
- Counsels clients regarding Medicare Advantage risk adjustment compliance, including responses to OIG and CMS RADV audits.
- Assists with communication and advocacy with federal health care program regulators, including CMS and the HHS OIG.
- Drafts and negotiates complex services agreements between health plans and PBMs.
- Monitors changes and developments in state laws that impact the PBM industry and other related stakeholders.
- Conducts internal investigations into potential fraud and abuse matters and manage multiple key stakeholders.
- Develops and implements compliance reviews to recommend and identify compliance best practices.
- Assisted with the defense and settlement of a five-year False Claims Act investigation conducted by multiple U.S. Attorney’s Offices and DOJ’s Civil Division on behalf of a national health care provider. We successfully convinced the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services not to pursue a Corporate Integrity Agreement.
- Represented a national health care provider in a False Claims Act investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The government ultimately declined to intervene, and the relator chose to voluntarily dismiss the case.
- Assisted with the defense of a diagnostics company in a national criminal and civil investigation involving multiple US Attorneys’ Offices and state Attorneys' General Offices. The investigation involved alleged kickback issues and billing violations.
viewpoints
CMS Proposes New Rules for Medicare Advantage and Part D
January 11, 2022 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller
PBM Regulatory Landscape Roundup (Summer 2021): A Flurry of Regulations, Rutledge, and a Crucial 8th Circuit Decision
September 28, 2021 | Blog | By Hassan Shaikh, Bridgette Keller
Bioethics in a Pandemic: Misinformation and Mandates
August 9, 2021 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller, Amy Martin
The Ongoing US Vaccine Passport Debate
April 29, 2021 | Blog | By Lara Compton, Bridgette Keller
Health Law Diagnosed — Bioethical Considerations in a Pandemic
January 7, 2021 | Podcast | By Bridgette Keller
HHS Finalizes Highly Anticipated Final Rules Amending AKS and Stark Law Regulations, Part IV: Changes to Existing Safe Harbors and Stark Law Exceptions
December 11, 2020 | Blog | By Karen Lovitch , Bridgette Keller, Rachel Yount
Bioethics in a Pandemic: FDA Guidance on Granting EUAs for a COVID-19 Vaccine
October 29, 2020 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller, Benjamin Zegarelli
In Case You Missed It: The Influence of Bioethics in Research and Development
October 27, 2020 | Blog
Bioethics in a Pandemic: Final Framework for Equitable Allocation of a COVID-19 Vaccine
October 20, 2020 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller, David Friedman
Bioethics in a Pandemic: Operation Warp Speed
September 23, 2020 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller
News & Press
Twenty-nine Mintz Attorneys Named to 2023 New York Metro Super Lawyers List
September 22, 2023
NEW YORK – Mintz is pleased to announce that 18 attorneys have been named New York Metro Super Lawyers and 11 attorneys have been named New York Metro Rising Stars by Super Lawyers for 2023.
Twenty-six Mintz Attorneys Recognized as 2022 New York Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
September 29, 2022
17 Mintz attorneys have been named New York Metro Super Lawyers and nine Mintz attorneys have been named New York Metro Rising Stars by Super Lawyers for 2022.
Events & Speaking
Legal, Ethical, and Practical Issues for Vaccine Credentials and Verification for Workplaces
Lawline
Online Event
Recognition & Awards
Included on the New York Super Lawyers Rising Star: Health Care list (2020-2023)
ABA-BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Health Law
Involvement
- Member, American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA)
- Member, American Bar Association (ABA)
- Member, American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)