Rachael K. Padgett

Rachael leverages her industry knowledge and depth of experience to provide holistic strategic guidance to managed care plans and health insurance companies.  

Rachael’s comprehensive understanding of the managed care industry allows her to provide her clients with legal advice that aligns with their business objectives. She regularly advises insurers, HMOs, and other managed care clients, including community health plans, on a broad range of regulatory and compliance issues, including licensing and expansion; product and network filings; network contracting and risk sharing arrangements; market conduct examinations; and other operational and compliance-related issues.    

Rachael maintains effective and trusted working relationships with industry regulators. She views her practice as a partnership, where she commits the time to learn and master the details of her clients’ business and circumstances, as well as regulators’ expectations, and knows the best results are obtained through the active interchange of their combined knowledge and experience. Rachael’s greatest professional satisfaction comes from that collaboration and the challenges presented by an everchanging healthcare industry landscape.

Community & Professional

• State Bar of Texas
• Texas Young Lawyers Association
• Austin Bar Association (Health Law Section)
• The Fifty - Seton Fund Dell Seton Medical Center (Former Member, President's Council - Seton Fund Dell Seton Medical Center)
• Former Board Member, Carrying Hope 

• Advised national and community health plans on day-to-day state and federal regulatory and compliance issues
• Represented health plans in their provider contracting and out-of-network provider reimbursement strategies including Texas and federal No Surprises Act arbitrations and mediations
• Counseled both health plans, employers and providers on value-based and risk-sharing arrangements
• Interacted with regulatory authorities such as the Texas Department of Insurance, state Departments of Insurance and CMS regarding compliance and other related issues
• Worked with health plans and HMOs on their quality of care and state market conduct exams · Represented health plans in state department of insurance investigation and enforcement matters
• Provided counsel on and oversee licensing, expansion, product and network filings for health insurers and HMOs
• Managed multistate licensing of utilization review agents, third party administrators and other health insurance related entities

Recognition

• The Best Lawyers in America©: Insurance Law (2022-Present)
• Austin Monthly Top Attorney in Health Care (2020-2021)