Understanding Significant Issues in Private Healthcare Exchanges

Sandy Smith is of counsel in Wilson Elser’s Albany office. She focuses her practice on insurance regulatory, corporate and transactional matters, with an emphasis on New York insurance law and regulations. She assists insurance companies, agents and brokers, and other clients with a broad range of regulatory issues before the New York Department of Financial Services, and often teams with the firm’s government relations attorneys when their insurance clients seek a regulatory solution.

Prior to joining the firm, Sandy spent nearly 20 years as an in-house counsel to the American General Life Insurance Division, advising the company on New York insurance regulatory, corporate, transactional, product and compliance matters. Through this experience, Sandy has first-hand knowledge of the inner-workings of insurance companies. She understands how legal and regulatory issues impact everything from underwriting to information technology and can navigate the hierarchy through which decisions are made. In addition, her years of regulatory experience enable her to advise clients on structuring a particular product or program to address the anticipated reaction of regulators.

Chris Kutner is a partner at Rivkin Radler LLP specializing in the health services industry. Initially trained as a commercial litigator where he litigated for eight years, he then served the next eight years in-house with a New York health insurance company serving in varying roles including as general counsel, chief compliance officer and privacy officer. His first four years in managed care was in the company’s legal department and the next four years he worked directly for the CEO and board of directors in a business strategy and product development roles. For the last seven years after leaving managed care, Mr. Kutner has worked in Long Island’s largest firms focusing exclusively on representing clients in the health services industry. He has earned degrees in mechanical engineering, law and an MBA. He is also a veteran of the US Military having served four years in the US Air Force immediately following high school. His specific expertise is in managed care contracting, reimbursement and he has keen interest in the workings of the health insurance delivery through exchanges.