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
Bioethics in a Pandemic: Operation Warp Speed
September 23, 2020 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller
Bioethics in a Pandemic: Vaccine Research and Clinical Trials
September 16, 2020| Blog|
Bioethics in a Pandemic: The Public’s Role in COVID-19 Vaccination
September 9, 2020 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller
Bioethics in a Pandemic: Draft Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine
September 4, 2020 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller, David Friedman
Bioethics in a Pandemic: Uncertainties in Applying the Draft Framework
September 4, 2020 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller, David Friedman
Bioethics in a Pandemic: Johns Hopkins Offers Ethics Framework to Support Vaccine Distribution Decisions
September 2, 2020 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller
Bioethics in a Pandemic: Learning from the Past
September 1, 2020 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller, David Friedman
Hot off the Presses! Draft Preliminary Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine Just Released
September 1, 2020 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller, David Friedman
Though the turnaround time is short, there are two ways for interested stakeholders and member of the public to submit feedback regarding the draft plan:
1. Speak at TOMORROW’s Public Listening Session (September 2, 12 PM EDT). Speakers must adhere to a strict 5-minute time limit and submit their interest in speaking in advance.
2. Submit Written Comment by September 4 at 11:59 PM EDT. Comments and uploaded materials will be made available in the Committee’s Public Access File and should be submitted at this link.
Bioethics in a Pandemic: The Basics
August 26, 2020 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller, David Friedman
As you might imagine, providing health care to individuals with diverse background and values presents ethical choices for health care professionals every day, throughout the entire health care system – providers, administrators, policymakers, insurers, employers, and even the health care lawyers! Well-recognized bioethics scholars Tom Beauchamp and James Childress offer a principle-based approach to guide ethical decision-making in health care. The four principles are (1) Respect for Autonomy, (2) Nonmaleficence, (3) Beneficence, and (4) Justice.
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)