Allison B. Orris

Profile

A former health care policy advisor for the executive branch of the federal government, Allison has deep experience in Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Affordable Care Act. As a partner with Manatt Health in Washington, D.C., she regularly advises hospitals, states and national association clients on the impact of emerging Medicaid legislation, regulations and subregulatory guidance, bringing her health policy expertise and familiarity with administrative and legislative processes to bear in helping clients respond to the changing federal health care landscape.

Allison regularly counsels hospital systems on Medicaid reimbursement matters and supports state clients in the development and negotiation of Medicaid Section 1115 demonstrations with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). She also has advised state, local and nonprofit clients on Medicaid and Title X family planning policy as well as on immigrant health benefits. Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, she has actively analyzed federal legislation and guidance, counseling clients on issues related to Medicaid and Medicare flexibilities, the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund, and other federal funding.

Prior to joining Manatt, Allison served as the Associate Administrator of the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. A regulatory policy expert, she helped lead White House review and negotiation of governmentwide regulations. During her time in the administration, Allison was a presidentially appointed member of the bipartisan Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking.

Allison also served as a senior policy advisor at CMS, where she focused on Medicaid and CHIP eligibility, financing, and delivery system reform, as well as on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. In other roles at CMS, she led negotiations regarding Medicaid expansion and delivery system reform Section 1115 demonstrations, and played a key role in advising congressional staff about Medicaid and CHIP policy during the drafting and passage of the Affordable Care Act. Earlier in her career, Allison worked at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, where she developed expertise in federal legislative and budget processes.

Speaking Engagements

Speaker, “Final Public Charge Rule: Analysis and Potential Implications,” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation State Health & Value Strategies, Webinar, September 3, 2019.

Speaker, “Examining the Public Charge Proposed Rule,” Robert Wood Johnson Foundation State Health & Value Strategies, Webinar, October 1, 2018.

Speaker, “Affordable Care Act Update,” DC Women’s Bar Association, November 17, 2017.

Panelist, “Medicaid Changes & Implications For People Living With HIV: Introduction,” ViiV Healthcare, Webinar, November 15, 2017.

Speaker, “Retrospective Review—Really,” American Bar Association’s Annual Administrative Law Institute, Washington, DC, May 19, 2017.

Panelist, “Understanding the Trump Administration’s 2-for-1 Regulatory Policy,” The District of Columbia Bar, Washington, D.C., April 13, 2017.

Honors & Awards

Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, District of Columbia Courts, 2018

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Health Insurance Marketplace Award, 2014

Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services Office of the Center Director’s Award of Excellence, 2014

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator’s Award—Affordable Care Act Legislative Team, 2010

12.09.20

Manatt Announces Historic Incoming Partner Class of 2021

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, announced today the promotion of four attorneys to ...
11.16.20

Orris, Spatz Quoted in CNN on Potential Health Policy Changes Under a ...

Manatt Health counsel Allison Orris and senior advisor Ian Spatz spoke with CNN about healthcare measures a Biden administration will likely ...
09.10.20

Karl and Orris Quoted in Bloomberg on Disparities in COVID-19 Relief ...

Manatt Health partner Anne Karl and counsel Allison Orris spoke with Bloomberg about the flaws in the algorithm used to distribute COVID-19 ...
08.13.20

Orris Quoted in Inside Health Policy On the HHS's COVID-19 Provider ...

Allison Orris spoke with Inside Health Policy about the HHS’s reopening of the Provider Relief Fund for providers that have not received the ...

01.25.21

Implementing Pharmacist Contraceptive Prescribing: A Playbook for ...

More than 19 million individuals in the United States lack meaningful access to birth control within their communities; low-income women, women of ...

05.01.20

COVID-19 Testing and Treatment Coverage for Adults in Medicaid ...

States are actively pursuing various coverage options for uninsured individuals who need COVID-19 testing and treatment. Available coverage options ...

02.04.20

CMS Guidance Authorizes Medicaid Demonstration Applications That Cap ...

On January 30, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released long-anticipated guidance that invites states to pursue capped funding ...

10.25.19

Public Charge Final Rule: Frequently Asked Questions

On August 12, 2019, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the final version of its public charge rule, which was slated to go into ...

03.17.21

Congress Passes American Rescue Plan; Health Coverage Provisions ...

On March 11, President Joe Biden signed an approximately $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill—the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
02.03.21

What’s Ahead for Health Policy in 2021

The Biden Administration is just two weeks old, and President Biden has already issued more than two dozen Executive Orders on racial justice, health ...
01.25.21

Implementing Pharmacist Contraceptive Prescribing: A Playbook for ...

More than 19 million individuals in the United States lack meaningful access to birth control within their communities.
01.14.21

HHS Finalizes Automatic SUNSET Dates and Mandatory Reassessment ...

On January 8, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released a final rule that imposes a ten-year sunset date on most regulations ...

03.31.21

Ensuring Access to Coverage and Care

Join Manatt and Innovators From Callen-Lorde and NY State of Health for a Dynamic Roundtable Exploring New Policy Opportunities and Strategies for ...

11.17.20

Post-Election: How Will the 2020 Election Results Impact Healthcare?

Healthcare continues to be one of the key factors driving voters’ decisions in the upcoming elections. With the death of Supreme Court Justice ...

10.28.20

Pre-Election: How Will the 2020 Election Results Impact Healthcare?

Discover How Federal and State Election Results Will Shape Healthcare Policies for Years to Come—and How You Can Prepare for What’s ...

09.21.20

2020 Presidential Campaign Healthcare Policy Positions

Find Out Where the Candidates Stand on Key Healthcare Issues—From COVID-19 to Prescription Drug Pricing to Health Equity—During a New ...

Allison B. Orris

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