Heide Bajnrauh applies her extensive background across policy, reimbursement and coding to guide clients through various challenges and opportunities by developing innovative reimbursement strategies
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, today welcomed Managing Director Heide Bajnrauh in Washington, D.C. With extensive experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device sectors, Bajnrauh enhances Manatt’s health care capabilities by advising on all aspects of reimbursement—including coding and coverage—with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Congress, other government entities, and commercial insurers.
“Heide brings a vast and technical skill set within health policy that will benefit clients looking to implement cutting-edge initiatives as they navigate the ever-evolving regulatory landscape,” said Donna L. Wilson, CEO and Managing Partner of Manatt. “As our national health care team—made up of former government officials and public and private executives alike—continues to expand, Heide’s sophisticated public and private sector experience aligns with and complements our broader legal, strategic, policy and business consulting capabilities as we continue to guide clients through industry transformation.”
In particular, Bajnrauh helps create tailored strategies for a variety of manufacturers and providers. Some of her most notable matters include leading a project for reimbursement and commercialization for the first-of-its-kind sensor-in-a-pill technology, which involved working with CMS, commercial payers, patient advocates and Congress to develop a path forward for this nascent technology. She also worked with Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to develop local coverage determinations (LCDs) for a medical technology company’s implantable continuous glucose monitoring system and worked with commercial payers to adopt new coverage policies. Additionally, Bajnrauh developed champions on Capitol Hill and got the first-ever stand-alone bill for blood clot awareness and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding for blood clot education.
“Heide is a highly skilled health policy leader who is extremely well versed in coding and developing effective market launch programs, having led numerous commercialization projects from the front lines,” said Manatt Health Leader Bill Bernstein. “She will be a real asset to our team as we continue to strengthen our regulatory capabilities, and will also be invaluable for our medical device, life sciences, academic medical center and hospital clients looking to commercialize technologies throughout the health care market.”
On the reimbursement front, Bajnrauh has worked with medical directors to draft payer coverage language for innovative technologies in the medical field; prepared coding applications for both Current Procedural Terminology® and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System billing codes; developed commercialization landscapes; and worked with internal research analysts developing health technology assessments, dossiers and health economic analyses.
Bajnrauh has also worked on regulatory and congressional issues involving health policy at both the agency and legislative levels. She served as a staff member in Senator John McCain’s office, both in Arizona and on Capitol Hill, working on legislative issues such as Medicare reform, CMS payment policy issues and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, and she served as a health policy adviser for McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.
“Manatt has a genuine commitment to exceptional client service that I have always admired, and I couldn’t be more excited to collaborate with colleagues across the Firm to serve clients looking to grow in new arenas,” Bajnrauh said. “Like Manatt, I have always been dedicated to helping improve the health care industry to advance high-quality care, and I look forward to continuing this work at the national, state and local levels alongside the team.”
Bajnrauh earned her M.H.I. and her B.S. from Arizona State University.