Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, PC is pleased to announce that veteran federal health reform and budget official Keith Fontenot has joined the firm as Managing Director of Government Relations and Public Policy. Mr. Fontenot brings with him 30 years of experience in federal health care and related policy issues, including a leading role in developing, negotiating and implementing the Affordable Care Act in the Obama Administration.
Mr. Fontenot’s experience includes four years as Associate Director for Health in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where he oversaw the Health and Human Services health budget, policy, legislative, and regulatory issues related to Medicare, Medicaid, Health reform, FDA, NIH, HRSA, and other health related agencies. Before that, as Deputy Director for Health and Human Resources in the Budget Analysis Division of the Congressional Budget Office, he played a key role in the development of many of the legislative options, such as Accountable Care Organizations and various value based payment provisions, which were subsequently adopted as part of the Affordable Care Act.
He was also previously Chief of the Health Financing Branch of OMB, where he was heavily involved in development and implementation of the Medicare prescription drug program, implementation of many of the new Medicare payment systems in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, and negotiation of state Medicaid waivers. Mr. Fontenot’s broad experience includes involvement in not just all aspects of our nation’s health programs, but also most of the major pieces of entitlement legislation since the 1980s, including social security, disability insurance, welfare reform, and immigration reform. He also served as the Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Policy in the Social Security Administration, and in other capacities at OMB.
“We have known for awhile in our practice that we best serve our clients when we anticipate the direction of federal health policy changes, help the client prepare in advance, and educate everyone about the practical concerns of such change before a policy is set in stone,” said John Hellow, Chair of the firm’s Regulatory Practice. “As a former leader of the health care policy, legislative, and regulatory agenda for the current administration and one of the leaders of that agenda for prior administrations, Keith is uniquely suited to help us best serve our clients’ in anticipating and implementing health care reform.”
“Keith brings not only years of experience in health care policy, but also a well earned reputation for creative solutions, a strategic approach to issues, sound advice and good judgment. These traits have put him at the center of federal health policy for years,” added Marty Corry, Chair of HLB’s Government Relations and Public Policy Practice. “His ability to forge important relationships, work on a bipartisan basis, his depth and breadth of experience with a wide range of health care issues and his dedication to serving the nation’s health care community significantly expands our capacity to assist our clients in this new era of health care integration spanning multiple provider venues and payors.”
“After decades of serving the public and the health care community in both the Executive and Legislative Branches, I look forward to bringing that perspective to the firm''s clients,” said Mr. Fontenot. “I view this as a significant opportunity to create a bridge of federal health policy understanding for health care. Hooper, Lundy & Bookman provides the perfect platform for helping health care entities who are grappling with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act and other evolving health care policy, legislative, and regulatory matters. For me personally, the opportunity to work with a terrific team of professionals who are solely devoted to and understand health care in all its dimensions is a pleasure and an honor.”
In addition to his work with HLB, Mr. Fontenot continues as a Visiting Scholar in the Engelberg Center of Health Reform at the Brookings Institute, where he works with former CMS Administrator, Mark McClellan, on health matters such as the Bending the Curve project, which focuses on aligning reforms in provider payment, benefit design, regulation and health plan payment.
"For close to 15 years, both in government and now at Brookings, I’ve worked closely with Keith on an array of reforms aimed at improving our nation''s health care, to get better health and avoid unnecessary costs," said McClellan. "Whether it was Medicare''s prescription drug program or state reforms or payment reforms like ACOs, Keith always approaches these issues with keen analytical insight, a wealth of budget and program experience, and a passion for making a difference."
About Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, PC: Founded in 1987, Hooper, Lundy & Bookman is the largest full service law practice in the country dedicated solely to the representation of health care providers, suppliers, and related entities. With offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Washington, D.C., and clients in all 50 states, we meet the business, litigation, regulatory, as well as strategic, public policy, and government relations needs of a broad array of health care providers – ranging from the largest national health care organizations to community hospitals and individual physician practices.
