Rachel’s practice involves a variety of regulatory, compliance, and transactional matters for a broad range clients across the health care industry, including health care systems, managed care organizations, pharmacies, device and pharmaceutical manufacturers, long-term and post-acute care providers, and private equity firms investing in the health care industry.
Rachel combines her industry knowledge and her deep understanding of the complex legal frameworks regulating the health care industry to provide her clients with practical, strategic guidance that supports innovation and business objectives. She is particularly well versed in the federal anti-kickback statute, the Stark Law, state fraud and abuse laws, beneficiary inducement prohibitions, provider-based rules, Medicare and Medicaid program requirements, and the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act. She routinely advises clients on the legal, practical, and fraud and abuse implications of business arrangements and sales and marketing practices.
Rachel regularly advise clients on the regulatory framework for value-based health care, including new and evolving CMS-sponsored payment models (e.g., ACO REACH, Medicare Shared Savings Program, Kidney Care Choices). She is particularly adept at assisting health care companies in navigating the anti-kickback statute safe harbors and Stark Law exceptions for value-based care.
Rachel frequently assists with implementing effective health care compliance programs for clients in various health care sectors, including pharmaceutical manufacturers, health systems, and managed care organizations, to name a few. She has assisted both with developing brand new compliance programs for health care companies just starting out and maturing existing compliance programs to support health care companies’ efforts to expand.
On the transactional side, Rachel frequently serves as health care regulatory counsel in both M&A transactions and private equity investments, involving managed care organizations, pharmacies, and a range of health care providers. She has experience in complex due diligence, contracting matters, identifying fraud and abuse risks, and advising on regulatory issues relevant to the target.
Previously, Rachel was a compliance attorney with Sentara Healthcare, a health care system with 12 acute care hospitals and more than 300 sites of care in Virginia and North Carolina. Focusing on the physician contracting process, Rachel developed strategic solutions to operational problems and provided legal support for compliance issues across the system. Her in-house experience informs her pragmatic, business-savvy counsel to health care industry clients.
Rachel is frequently invited to speak on health care fraud and abuse, compliance, and other health law matters. She is also an editor of and frequent contributor to the firm’s Health Care Viewpoints.
Experience
- Served as health care regulatory counsel to TPG Capital as part of its joint acquisition of OneOncology with AmericsourceBergen.
- Served as health care regulatory counsel to JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs in connection with the financing and bond offerings relating to the purchase of athenahealth by Bain Capital and Hellman & Friedman.
- Served as health care regulatory counsel to The Rise Fund in connection with its acquisition of Blue Cloud Pediatric Surgery Centers.
- Conducted the due diligence and provided state and federal regulatory research and analysis in connection with TPG’s acquisition of Convey Health Solutions, a specialized health care technology company that provides health plan administration, supplemental benefits administration, and consulting services to health plans.
- Served as health care regulatory specialist for a private equity-backed radiology services provider in multiple practice acquisitions.
- Provided health care regulatory counsel in connection with a population health manager’s sale of a minority equity stake in its subsidiary to a large health care system.
- Served as the Interim Chief Compliance Officer at CareSource, an Ohio managed care organization offering Medicaid, Medicare, and Marketplace plans.
- Acted as special counsel for the initial public offering of Blued, China’s largest LGBT dating app and surrogacy facilitator.
- Represented a health care provider in a self-disclosure to CMS for potential Stark Law violations.
- Represented a health care provider under investigation by the Department of Justice for alleged violations of the anti-kickback statute and Stark Law.
viewpoints
Q&A with Guests from the Mintz’s Health Law Diagnosed Podcast Episode, Emerging Role of AI in Health Care
March 25, 2024 | Blog | By Rachel Yount, Bridgette Keller
Get to know Jane, Rebecca, and Carina as they answer questions on their career, their advice for women in the health care industry, and the meaning of success and mindfulness.
Health Law Diagnosed — Mintz Health Law Team: Reflecting on What We Are Grateful For
February 5, 2024 | Podcast | By Bridgette Keller
Federal Judge Rejects Pharma Manufacturers’ Challenge to Negative OIG Advisory Opinion
January 22, 2024 | Blog | By Rachel Yount, Abdie Santiago
OIG Issues a Favorable Advisory Opinion on Vendor’s Offer of Gift Cards to Physician Practices for Recommending the Vendor’s Services
January 5, 2024 | Blog | By Rachel Yount
Key Takeaways from the OIG’s New Comprehensive General Compliance Program Guidance
November 10, 2023 | Blog | By Rachel Yount, Jane Haviland
HHS Proposes Appropriate Disincentives for Health Care Providers That Commit Information Blocking
November 6, 2023 | Blog | By Pat Ouellette, Rachel Yount
OIG Issues Unfavorable Advisory Opinion on Free Items to Patients Tied to Reimbursable Services
November 1, 2023 | Blog | By Rachel Yount
OIG Issues Unfavorable Advisory Opinion on Common Arrangements between Physician Practices and Health Care Providers
August 23, 2023 | Blog | By Rachel Yount, Karen Lovitch
Transforming Primary Care: CMS Launches Making Care Primary (MCP) Model
August 8, 2023 | Blog | By Rachel Yount, David Gilboa, Stephnie John
CMS Announces GUIDE – a New Dementia Care Model Designed for Participation by a Range of Providers
August 2, 2023 | Blog | By Rachel Yount
News & Press
How New Kickback Rules Benefit Health Care Industry: Part 1
December 18, 2020
How New Kickback Rules Benefit Health Care Industry: Part 2
December 18, 2020
Events & Speaking
Healthcare Regulatory Considerations for Patient Incentives: AKS and CMPL Compliance, Safe Harbors, Exceptions
Strafford CLE
Virtual Webinar
Reducing Patient Leakage by Directing Physician Referrals, AKS Safe Harbors, and Stark Law Exceptions
Strafford
Online Event
HHS’s Holiday Gift to the Health Care Industry: Historic Changes to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law Regulations
View the Webinar Recording
Publications
Co-author, What Is...The Anti-Kickback Statute?, Second Edition, Published by the American Bar Association (2022)
Read lessRecognition & Awards
Recognized by The Legal 500 United States for Healthcare: Service Providers (2021)
Involvement
- Member, American Health Lawyers Association (2011-present)
- Member, Health Law Section, American Bar Association (2016-present)
- Vice Chair, Health Law Committee of the Young Lawyers Division, American Bar Association (2017-2018)
- Member, Health Care Compliance Association (2014-2016)