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Bridgette A. Keller

Of Counsel

[email protected]

+1.212.692.6735

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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.
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viewpoints

In a set of rules published last week, the government finalized a July 2010 interim final rule (“IFR”) related to coverage of certain preventive services and an August 2014 IFR regarding the definition of an eligible organization and the process by which an eligible organization can provide notice of its religious objection to the coverage of contraceptive services.
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HRSA Takes its First Steps on 340B Rules

June 22, 2015 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller

The 340B Drug Discount Program has operated for more than 20 years with just a few governing regulations codified in 42 CFR Part 10.  Through the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), Congress adopted several amendments to the 340B Program.
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Government Announces Health Care Fraud “Takedown”

June 18, 2015 | Blog | By Brian Dunphy, Bridgette Keller

Earlier today, Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced the largest coordinated crackdown in the Medicare Fraud Strike Force’s eight-year history.  The government brought charges against 243 individuals for approximately $712 million in alleged Medicare fraud.
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Over a Decade in the Making: CMS Releases Long-Awaited Medicaid Managed Care Rule

June 5, 2015 | Advisory | By Pamela Kramer, Bridgette Keller, Lauren Moldawer

On May 27, 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published a 653-page proposed rule affecting the thirty-nine states (plus the District of Columbia) that use managed care organizations (“MCOs”) to administer their Medicaid benefits.
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Earlier this week, ML Strategies posted its weekly Health Care Update which provided timely information on implementation of the Affordable Care Act, Congressional initiatives affecting the health care industry, and federal and state health regulatory developments.
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Last week I attended the American Health Lawyers Association Institute on Medicare and Medicaid Payment Issues in Baltimore, Maryland. Taking a comprehensive approach to reimbursement issues, the program offered a variety of sessions ranging from Medicare and Medicaid program fundamentals to areas of highly-specific technical expertise.
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CMS Call Letter: Medicare Advantage Contracting Considerations

March 6, 2015 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller

As a final addition to our series on the 2016 Draft Call Letter, we highlight some of the MA contracting issues raised by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (“CMS”).
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CMS Finalizes Policy Rules For Medicare Parts C and D

February 17, 2015 | Blog | By Theresa Carnegie, Lauren Moldawer, Bridgette Keller

Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final rules on policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Prescription Drug Benefit programs (Part D) for contract year 2016.
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The US Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG), and other federal and state agencies continued to focus on health care enforcement as a top priority in 2014. 
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CMS Issues Rewards and Incentive Guidance to MA Plans

December 18, 2014 | Blog | By Bridgette Keller

On December 4, 2014, CMS issued additional guidance regarding rewards and incentives programs (“RI Programs”). This guidance elaborates on whether an RI Program can target members with specific diseases, whether rewards can be tied to health outcomes, how to value rewards and incentives, and gives examples of appropriate and inappropriate rewards and incentives.
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News & Press

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz

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.

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz

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.

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz
Mintz is advising a consortium of investors led by TPG Capital and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe in their acquisition of Kindred Healthcare, Inc. The definitive agreement totals approximately $4.1 billion in cash including the assumption or repayment of net debt.
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podcasts

Health Law Diagnosed – Understanding the New Massachusetts Health Care Market Review Law

March 11, 2025 | Podcast | By Bridgette Keller, Deborah Daccord, Kate Stewart, Cassandra Paolillo

Host Bridgette Keller discusses the new Massachusetts Health Care Market Review Law and what this means for health care providers, investors, and other key stakeholders. She is joined by Member Deb Daccord, Of Counsel Cassie Paolillo, and Of Counsel Kate Stewart, who share their insights on the law’s far-reaching implications.

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Health Law Diagnosed – New Year's Gratitude

February 3, 2025 | Podcast | By Bridgette Keller, Alison H. Peters, Samantha Kingsbury, Theresa Carnegie, Joanne Hawana, Abdie Santiago, Stephnie John, Pamela Polevoy, Karen Lovitch, Jean D. Mancheno, Deborah Daccord, Rachel A. Alexander, Jane Haviland, David Gilboa, Kathryn Edgerton, Hassan Shaikh, Madison Castle, Laurence Freedman, Priyanka Amirneni, Samantha Hawkins, Tara E. Dwyer, Rachel Yount, Sophia Temis, Xavier Hardy

Host Of Counsel Bridgette Keller invites the Mintz Health Law team to reflect on what they’re grateful for as they prepare for the year ahead. Hear from a dynamic group of Members, Of Counsel, and Associates as they share their perspectives on what’s coming up over the horizon.

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Health Law Diagnosed – The 2024 Election and Health Care Policy

January 16, 2025 | Podcast | By Bridgette Keller, Alexander Hecht

Host Of Counsel Bridgette Keller is joined by Alex Hecht, ML Strategies Executive Vice President & Director of Operations, Washington, DC, as they dive into potential health care policy changes on the horizon following the 2024 election and what stakeholders can expect in 2025.

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Host Bridgette Keller, joined by Lauren Edgerton, Healthcare Director at Piper Sandler, and Kathryne Cooper, Partner at Jumpstart Nova leads a conversation around investing in women's health.

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In the latest episode of Health Law Diagnosed – Women Leaders in Health Care, host Bridgette Keller leads a conversation around the emerging role of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care.

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Health Law Diagnosed – A Discussion on the Regulatory Requirements for LDTs

March 7, 2024 | Podcast | By Bridgette Keller, Joanne Hawana, Benjamin Zegarelli

In this episode of Health Law Diagnosed, host Bridgette Keller is joined by Mintz Health Law attorneys Joanne Hawana and Benjamin Zegarelli to discuss the FDA’s long-awaited proposed rules that actively regulate laboratory developed tests (LDTs).

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As the Mintz Health Law team welcomes the beginning of 2024, many of its members take a moment to reflect on the exciting growth of the Health Law Practice, opportunities to partner with clients on complex legal issues, and the celebration of numerous milestones.

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In the inaugural episode of our new series of Health Law Diagnosed titled Women Leaders in Health Care, host Bridgette Keller speaks with in-house attorneys Leah Pollema of InhibRx and Serene Katranji of Orchard Laboratories about the importance of mentorship. 

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Health Law Diagnosed – CA Proposes Regs for Pre-Closing Review of Health Care Deals: What You Need to Know

August 21, 2023 | Podcast | By Lara Compton, Deborah Daccord, Bridgette Keller, Daria Niewenhous

Mintz Health Law attorneys discuss regulations recently proposed by California’s newly established Office of Health Care Affordability, which call for advance regulatory review of certain health care entity mergers, acquisitions, affiliations, and other arrangements.

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Health Law Diagnosed – EnforceMintz – Part 2: DOJ Regulatory and Policy Update

April 25, 2023 | Podcast | By Bridgette Keller, Eoin Beirne, Karen Lovitch, Brian Dunphy

In this episode, Health Care Enforcement Defense specialists Eoin Beirne, Karen Lovitch, and Brian Dunphy discuss key regulatory and policy updates issued by the DOJ and their potential impact on False Claims Act cases, from self-disclosure to privacy regulations.

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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

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Involvement

  • Member, American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA)
  • Member, American Bar Association (ABA)
  • Member, American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
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