Jennifer A. Mills

She | Her | Hers

Partner

Cleveland
T +1.216.861.7874
F +1.216.696.0740

Overview

As the healthcare landscape is evolving, Jennifer Mills regularly works with large, self-funded employers in developing and implementing strategic and innovative health care plans, including direct contracting arrangements with healthcare providers and pharmacies. She advises clients of all sizes in the area of health and welfare benefits, including both for-profit and tax-exempt organizations and government entities.

Jennifer has extensive experience in employee benefits, with a focus on health and welfare plan design and implementation. She has developed an extensive practice with regard to the requirements that apply to employer-sponsored plans and works with clients to develop business strategies that comply with complex regulatory frameworks. She also works with providers to advise them on strategies in working directly with employer-sponsored health plans.

With an LL.M. in taxation, Jennifer also understands the tax perspective of benefits and compensation plans and the tax-driven reforms established by the IRS. She serves as co-lead of the Employee Benefits teams.

Select Experience

  • Assists corporate clients in strategic planning of health and welfare plans. Strategically implements health and welfare benefit plans and advises clients on all types of benefit matters involving the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, Medicare, plan funding, fiduciary issues, and mergers and acquisitions. Identifies issues that impact employee benefit plans and strategically addresses such concerns.
  • Advises employers with respect to design and implementation of custom provider networks and pharmacy arrangements.
  • Advises employers on direct contracting arrangements with healthcare providers and pharmacies, as well as implementation of carve outs from traditional pharmacy benefit managers for strategic programs, such as specialty pharmacy arrangements.
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Experience

  • Assists corporate clients in all aspect of strategic planning and implementation of health and welfare plans.
  • Advises employers with respect to design and implementation of custom provider networks and pharmacy arrangements.
  • Advises employers on direct contracting arrangements with healthcare providers and pharmacies, as well as implementation of carve outs from traditional pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for strategic programs, such as specialty pharmacy arrangements.
  • Advises clients on all types of benefit matters involving the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), Medicare, plan funding, fiduciary issues, and mergers and acquisitions. Identifies issues that impact employee benefit plans and strategically addresses such concerns.
  • Counsels clients on Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy and security compliance for their health plans, including the impact of HIPAA on plan design strategies and the development of HIPAA policies and procedures, workforce training and compliance.
  • Coordinates with clients in responding to HIPAA breaches, including ransomware attacks.
  • Works with clients on all aspects of data protection beyond the regulatory structure, including the protection of proprietary health plan information.
  • Advises clients on fiduciary issues, including developing, implementing and maintaining plan governance procedures.
  • Negotiates vendor agreements with third party administrators, pharmacy benefit managers and other plan services providers.
  • Prepares training programs for clients on various aspects of employee benefits plan issues, including governance and health and welfare plan regulation and compliance, including HIPAA.
  • On behalf of health insurers, assists in policies, procedures and the development of contracts and agreements under regulatory guidelines.
  • Advises church plans on benefits plan issues, including Affordable Care Act and HIPAA compliance.

Recognitions and Memberships

Recognitions

  • The Legal 500 United States (2020 to 2022)
    • Recommended in Labor and Employment - Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design
  • The Best Lawyers in America® (2016 to Present)
    • Ohio: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
  • Worldwide Employee Benefits Network

Community

  • Beech Brook: Board Member

Featured Video

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Hear an analysis of the $2 trillion CARES Act, which was signed by President Trump on March 27, 2020.

Emerging Issues

Admissions

  • Ohio, 1996

Education

  • LL.M., Taxation, Case Western Reserve University, 1997
  • J.D., The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law, 1996
  • M.S., Physics, Case Western Reserve University, 1993
  • B.S., Physics, University of Cincinnati, 1991

Blog

In The Blogs

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Employment Law Spotlight
Group Health Plan Considerations Post-Dobbs
By Seth J. Hanft, Susan Whittaker Hughes, Jennifer A. Mills
July 5, 2022
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has presented many issues for sponsors of group health plans to contemplate as they decide whether and how to proceed with the offering and...
Read More ->