Payers, Providers, and Patients – Oh My!

Host Megan Beaver talks to Alex Lucas and Jason Mayer about the No Surprises Act, a 2021 law designed to protect patients from unexpected medical bills, the federal independent dispute resolution process it created, the challenges that have plagued that process, and the new federal rule issued on June 4, 2026. The episode also covers the growing wave of enforcement litigation and what’s on the horizon for IDR.

This podcast episode features the following speakers:

• Alex Lucas is a partner in Crowell & Moring's Chicago office and a member of the firm's Health Care Group. She is regarded as a leading national authority on the No Surprises Act and its implications for managed care organizations. Alex advises clients on a wide range of NSA compliance issues, oversees administration of the NSA's independent dispute resolution process for multiple organizations, and aids in internal and regulatory audits to ensure NSA compliance.
• Jason Mayer is a partner in Crowell & Moring's Chicago office and a member of the firm's Health Care Group. Jason is nationally recognized for his work on complex litigation and regulatory disputes within the healthcare industry, representing managed care organizations and commercial clients in high-stakes matters.

Payers, Providers, and Patients – Oh My! is Crowell & Moring's health care podcast, discussing legal and regulatory issues that affect health care entities' in-house counsel, executives, and investors.

Hosts Megan Beaver and Savanna Williams talk to Rachel Park and Lisa Umans about the regulation of the organ procurement industry, recent congressional interest in the space, and the latest updates from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 

This podcast episode features the following speakers:

• Rachel Park is a senior counsel in Crowell & Moring's Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s Health Care Group. She advises clients on a wide array of health care matters, including Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, managed care litigation, and health care fraud investigations and oversight. Prior to joining Crowell, she served for 24 years at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), most recently as principal deputy general counsel, the highest-level nonpolitical appointee in the HHS Office of the General Counsel. 
• Lisa Umans is a partner in Crowell & Moring’s New York office and a member of the firm’s White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement group and Financial Services group. She represents large institutional clients and individuals in federal and state regulatory and criminal investigations conducted by grand juries, congressional committees, and domestic and international law enforcement and regulatory agencies including the Department of Justice’s Criminal and Antitrust Divisions, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and various State Attorneys General.

Payers, Providers, and Patients – Oh My! is Crowell & Moring’s health care podcast, discussing legal and regulatory issues that affect health care entities’ in-house counsel, executives, and investors.

In this episode, hosts Payal Nanavati and Megan Beaver speak with Linda Malek and Matthew F. Ferraro about the latest federal and state developments in artificial intelligence (AI) policy affecting health care. The conversation covers the Trump administration’s AI action plan and Executive Orders on AI, new industry-specific and comprehensive state laws, and enforcement trends, with a focus on how these changes impact the health care industry.

This podcast episode features the following speakers:

• Linda Malek is a partner in Crowell & Moring's New York office, and is a member of our Health Care, Privacy & Cybersecurity, and Life Sciences practices. She advises a broad array of health care and life sciences clients on compliance with federal, state, and international law governing clinical research, data privacy, cybersecurity, and fraud and abuse. Linda also counsels digital health and biotech companies developing AI tools. She navigates the complex and evolving federal and state regulatory landscape, balancing the priorities of oversight authorities with issues related to data privacy and security as well as business goals.
• Matthew F. Ferraro is a partner in Crowell & Moring's Washington, D.C. office and is a member of our Privacy and Cybersecurity Group, where he advises leading organizations on high-impact matters involving artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and emerging technologies. He previously served as Senior Counselor for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technology to the Secretary of Homeland Security, helping shape national AI and cyber policy and helping to establish and run the Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board.

Payers, Providers, and Patients – Oh My! is Crowell & Moring’s health care podcast, discussing legal and regulatory issues that affect health care entities’ in-house counsel, executives, and investors.

In the second of a two part series on the impact of administrative law in the health care industry, hosts Payal Nanavati and Savanna Williams talk to Dan Wolff about the practicalities of seeking judicial review to challenge agency actions, the impact of Loper Bright, and the major questions doctrine.

This podcast episode features the following speakers:

• Dan Wolff is a partner in Crowell & Moring's Washington, D.C. office and leads the firm’s administrative law litigation practice. Dan's practice encompasses litigation arising under the Administrative Procedure Act or as a result of government enforcement actions or commercial disputes. He regularly appears in federal district and appellate courts around the country and before a host of agency tribunals, and counsels clients on their rights and obligations under a number of federal regulatory programs.

Payers, Providers, and Patients – Oh My! is Crowell & Moring’s health care podcast, discussing legal and regulatory issues that affect health care entities’ in-house counsel, executives, and investors.

In the first of a two part series on the impact of administrative law in the health care industry, hosts Payal Nanavati and Savanna Williams talk to Dan Wolff about how administrative law manifests itself on a day-to-day basis and how to interact with agency officials in a heavily regulated industry.

This podcast episode features the following speakers:

• Dan Wolff is a partner in Crowell & Moring's Washington, D.C. office and leads the firm’s administrative law litigation practice. Dan's practice encompasses litigation arising under the Administrative Procedure Act or as a result of government enforcement actions or commercial disputes. He regularly appears in federal district and appellate courts around the country and before a host of agency tribunals, and counsels clients on their rights and obligations under a number of federal regulatory programs.

Payers, Providers, and Patients – Oh My! is Crowell & Moring’s health care podcast, discussing legal and regulatory issues that affect health care entities’ in-house counsel, executives, and investors.

In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15), hosts Payal Nanavati and Savanna Williams talk to Jen Mika about best practices that providers should keep in mind to combat elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

This podcast episode features the following speakers:

• Jen Mika is a counsel in Crowell’s DC office and is considered a leading authority on Elder Law in the District of Columbia. Jen was the District of Columbia’s first prosecutor solely focused on investigating and prosecuting financial exploitation of elders and vulnerable adults.

In this episode, hosts Payal Nanavati and Megan Beaver talk to Alice Hall-Partyka and Savanna Williams about the impact of Executive Order 14187 on access to gender-affirming care for individuals under the age of 19. Alice and Savanna delve into the implications of this EO, and others, on payors, providers, and potentially conflicting state laws.

 

Executive Order 14187: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/02/03/2025-02194/protecting-children-from-chemical-and-surgical-mutilation

 

In this episode, hosts Payal Nanavati and Savanna Williams talk to Aaron Cummings and Stephen Holland about the Trump and Harris campaigns’ approaches to issues affecting the health care industry. This podcast episode features the following speakers:

• Aaron Cummings serves as the co-chair of Crowell’s Government Affairs Group and was Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) from 2019-2023. Today, Aaron helps clients make sure their views are represented in policy discussions in Capitol Hill, the White House, and throughout the federal government, including advising clients on health care legislative and policy.
• Stephen Holland is an senior counsel in Crowell’s Government Affairs Group, where he leverages his extensive experience advising members of Congress and their staff as a policy advisor and attorney active in health care legislation. In his most recent role prior to joining Crowell, Stephen spent five years on the Energy and Commerce Committee staff under the leadership of Ranking Member and former Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ).

Payers, Providers, and Patients – Oh My! is Crowell & Moring’s health care podcast, discussing legal and regulatory issues that affect health care entities’ in-house counsel, executives, and investors.

In this episode, hosts Payal Nanavati and Megan Beaver talk to Alice Hall-Partyka and Spencer Bruck about the recently released Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) final rule. Alice and Spencer delve into the key new provisions of the rule, including the requirements for Non-Quantitative Treatment Limitations comparative analyses and the focus on data outcomes.

Relevant resources:

• Tri-Agencies Finalize NQTL Comparative Analysis Standards in Final Rule
• Final Mental Health Parity Rule Spurs Loper Bright Legal Threat

Payers, Providers, and Patients – Oh My! is Crowell & Moring’s health care podcast, discussing legal and regulatory issues that affect health care entities’ in-house counsel, executives, and investors.

In this episode, hosts Payal Nanavati and Savanna Williams talk to Roma Sharma and Wietse Vanpoucke about the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act, which establishes a common regulatory and legal framework for AI within the European Union. This podcast episode features the following speakers:

 

• Roma Sharma is a counsel in Crowell’s Health Care Group, where she advises a variety of health care clients on navigating the use of AI in the industry and complying with federal and state laws and regulations.
• Wietse Vanpoucke is an associate in Crowell’s Brussels office, where his practice focuses on the life sciences and digital health sectors, relying on his deep experience with European and Belgian regulatory affairs and legal procedures.

Payers, Providers, and Patients – Oh My! is Crowell & Moring’s health care podcast, discussing legal and regulatory issues that affect health care entities’ in-house counsel, executives, and investors.