Employee Benefits

Supported by one of the largest employee benefits practices in the Pacific Northwest, our Health Care Team includes employee benefits lawyers who have broad experience handling health care industry issues. The team includes one of the few lawyers in the country who works exclusively on health plan and health care reform matters.

Health Care Team Services Antitrust Compliance and Regulatory Corporate Data, Privacy and Security Employee Benefits Fraud and Abuse Government Reimbursement Health Information Technology Labor and Employment Litigation Medical Staff and Peer Review Real Estate Stark Law Tax Health Care Team Home

Our experience includes the following:

• We partner with medical practice groups and other health care service providers, hospital systems, insurance companies, and insurance and benefits administrators in connection with the design, implementation and ongoing administration of health and welfare benefit plans and other compensation arrangements for their employees. We advise on compliance issues for welfare programs, qualified retirement plans and executive compensation matters, including the drafting of plan documents and summary plan descriptions, enrollment materials, HIPAA privacy and security policies and procedures, and other administrative notices and communications.
• We advise health care service providers on how they seek payment from health plans and health insurers for the medical services they provide.
• We advise self-funded health plans and health insurance companies concerning plan design and compliance with numerous regulatory regimes, including federal and state tax laws, ERISA, HIPAA privacy and security requirements, Medicare Secondary Payer rules, Medicare Part D, mental health parity law (MHPAEA), genetic non-discrimination (GINA) law, qualified medical child support orders, VEBAs and trust fund issues, COBRA and USERRA continuation of coverage, health reform requirements under PPACA and electronic health information exchange.
• We represent health plan sponsors and administrators in connection with the drafting and negotiation of health plan administrative service agreements, including such things as general “administrative services only” agreements, insurance administration agreements, stop-loss insurance agreements and policies, pharmacy benefit management contracts and HIPAA business associate agreements.
• We advise state and local governments and governmental entities on state law issues and relationships with state civil service-sponsored health plans.
• Representative employee benefits clients include The ODS Companies, Asante Health System, Medford Medical Clinic, Portland Hypertension and Nephrology Clinic, Oregon Health & Science University, Southwest Washington Health System, Bay Area Hospital (Coos Bay), Ashland Community Hospital, Avamere Health Services, The Portland Clinic, The Oregon Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, InterDent, Inc. (Gentle Dental), Liberty Dialysis, Smile Brands Inc. (Bright Now! Dental), CareOregon and FamilyCare.
• Our responsiveness and collective depth of experience set us apart for employee benefits work in the health care industry.

Health Care Team Contacts

• Bethany A. Bacci
• Howard Bye-Torre
• Melanie K. Curtice
• Steven D. Woodland