Pati McCandless

Pati is a Shareholder in the Firm’s Insurance practice group. She is a seasoned attorney and government relations professional with extensive experience advising insurers, health plans, digital health organizations, and investors on complex legal, policy, and regulatory matters at both the state and federal levels. With more than three decades of experience at the intersection of law, government relations, and managed care operations, she provides strategic counsel to clients facing significant policy, market access, and regulatory challenges. She handles a wide range of matters involving commercial managed care products and government healthcare programs, including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Prior to joining Maynard Nexsen, Pati served as Vice President at Health Care Service Corporation (doing business as the Blue Cross plan in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas and nationally as Health Spring), where she led state advocacy efforts affecting commercial, government, and ancillary lines of business and provided policy direction to a team of state government relations professionals.

Before moving in-house, Pati practiced as Of Counsel in the insurance regulatory group of a multinational law firm. Her practice focused on regulatory, transactional, and compliance matters for insurers and managed care organizations. Drawing on her extensive experience in both the legal and policy arenas, Pati brings a strategic and well-rounded perspective to every matter she handles.

Pati earned her J.D., cum laude, from New York Law School, where she served as an Articles Editor for the Journal of International and Comparative Law. She holds her B.S. in Journalism from Texas A&M University.

Community & Professional

• Texas Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association, Texas Department of Insurance Appointed Board Member (2017-2024)
• University of Texas Health Science Center, Appointed Member, Advisory Stakeholder Committee, All Payer Claims Database (2021-2024)
• Texas Association of Health Plans, Board Member/President (two terms) (2003-2006, 2013-2015; 2021-2024)
• Texas Association of Life & Health Insurers, Board Member (2021-2023)
• Texas Association of Business, Board and Executive Committee Member (2003-2023)
• Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool, Texas Department of Insurance Appointed Board Member (2003-2014)
• LTC Re, Board Member (2020-2021)

Recognition

• List of Top Law Firm Lobbyist, Capitol Inside (2011)
• List of Top Corporate In-House Lobbyists, Capitol Inside (2013-2025)

• Featured Speaker at BCBSTX Sales and Major Accounts Events (2012-2026)
• Speaker, AHIP State Issues Retreat, Medicare Supplement State Activity Update, Nashville, TN (9.25.2025)
• Moderator, Policy Pulse: Latest Health Insurance Policy Trends and Updates, Texas Association of Health Plans, Texas Covered Conference, Houston, TX (11.07.2023)
• Panelist, Focus on Health Care Costs, BCBSA State & Federal Relations Conference, Washington, D.C. (7.11.2023)
• Speaker, Texas Gold Card Bill Update, BCBSA 2022 State Legislative Conference, Charleston, SC (10.19.2022)
• Speaker, Texas Election 2022 and 2023 Legislative Update, Major Accounts Council, Dallas, Texas (10.04.2022)
• Panelist, Unpacking the No Surprises Act, TAHP Conference, Austin, Texas (11.04.2022)
• Panelist, Game Over: Protecting Americans from Surprise Balance Billing in Federal and State Law, Texas Association of Health Plans Annual Conference, Austin, TX (11.12.2019)
• Speaker, Emerging Access to Care Policy Trends, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Conference, Arlington, VA (10.15.2019)
• Speaker, Surprise Billing: Not Such a Surprise, AHIP State Issues Retreat, Washington, DC (9.26.2019)
• Panelist, Surprise Balance Billing Panel Discussion, BCBSA National Summit, Dallas, TX (5.02.2019)
• Speaker, Back to Basics: Understanding Health Insurance, Texas Association of Health Plans Lunch and Learn, Texas Capitol, Austin, TX (9.30.2018)