McDermott Will & Schulte, a global law firm

Kate McDonald represents clients across the healthcare industry on complex regulatory matters and high-stakes mergers and acquisitions, affiliations and other investments. She delivers strategic advice on federal and state laws applicable to health insurers and HMOs, including the downstream implications for their provider organizations and vendors, as well as the reimbursement landscape of federal healthcare programs.

Kate’s clients rely on her extensive experience navigating the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D and Medicaid managed care programs. She partners with health plans, provider organizations, technology start-ups, private equity funds and retailers to benchmark risks, solve regulatory challenges and structure transactions, particularly those that involve federal and state healthcare programs. As payors and providers continue to realign in today’s market, Kate offers nuanced insights into the unique obstacles and opportunities facing companies at the intersection of these two worlds. She helps innovative companies navigate state risk-bearing regulations, drafts and negotiates agreements with complex reimbursement structures and regulatory implications, and advises healthcare companies and private equity funds on investments in highly regulated segments of the healthcare market.

Kate’s healthcare regulatory experience also includes deep insights into DC certificate of need (CON) laws. She helps providers obtain CON approval for the introduction and expansion of healthcare services, changes in ownership, capital expenditures, and closure of healthcare services or facilities in Washington, DC.

Kate is a contributing author to Regulation of Medicare Part D Plans (Thomson Reuters, 2019 edition) and Thomson Reuters Health Law Handbook (2017 edition). She speaks regularly at healthcare industry events, including the Wall Street Journal Health Forum, American Health Lawyers Association Institute for Health Plan Counsel, Blue Cross Blue Shield National Summit, Health Care Compliance Association Managed Care Compliance Conference, and Medicaid Managed Care Congress. Kate was the first recipient of the McDermott Will & Emery Client Service Award (2019).

Emily R. Curran focuses her practice on healthcare regulatory and compliance issues in the managed care space. She counsels both for-profit and non-profit healthcare insurance companies on state and federal policy issues and advises clients on reimbursement issues that come into play when participating in government healthcare programs. Emily also supports the Firm’s transactional work.

Prior to joining McDermott Will & Schulte, Emily served as a university research faculty member where she focused on private health insurance and the impact of state and federal policy on coverage quality and access, with emphasis on the effects of the Affordable Care Act and state health insurance exchanges. Prior to attending law school, she worked for a healthcare consulting firm supporting health plan and pharmaceutical clients in navigating legislative and regulatory developments related to drug pricing and health insurance markets.