Rachel Stauffer
Subscribe to Rachel Stauffer's PostsRachel is a highly experienced government relations and legislative affairs strategist and advocate who is informed by a solid foundation of health policy knowledge.
Prior to joining McDermottPlus, Rachel served as the director of policy and government relations for a health IT contractor, where she developed the company’s first strategic plan for government relations. She grew the company’s profile on Capitol Hill by establishing new relationships with key leaders in the federal, state and military health program space. As a result, the company became an authoritative source on a variety of legislative approaches, especially related to veterans’ health. Read Rachel Stauffer's full bio.
Key updates on the US health benefits and reimbursement landscape
By Sarah Raaii and Rachel Stauffer on Aug 7, 2025
Posted In Digital Health, Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
The health benefits landscape is undergoing significant changes. Recent developments in policy and legislation are poised to reshape the economic environment, affecting employer plan sponsors, insurance providers, third-party administrators, and those enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans. Learn more about the changes to the benefits industry here.
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HDHP telehealth safe harbor permanently reinstated
By Sarah Raaii and Rachel Stauffer on Jul 22, 2025
Posted In Digital Health, Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act permanently extends the telehealth safe harbor for high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) for plan years beginning after December 31, 2024. This extension allows HDHPs to cover telehealth and remote care services at low or no cost, expanding access for millions of participants and encouraging digital health providers, insurers, and employers to...
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Unpacking the OBBBA’s HDHP telehealth safe harbor permanency
By Sarah Raaii, Rachel Stauffer and Julia Grabo on Jul 17, 2025
Posted In Digital Health, Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
In this edition of Health Policy Breakroom, Sarah Raaii and Rachel Stauffer join Julia Grabo to explore a crucial virtual care provision from the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act, exploring its effects on patients, employers, and the broader landscape of virtual care policy. Listen to the Breakroom episode.
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DOJ Proposes Restrictions on Transactions Involving Bulk Sensitive Data, Including Health Data
By Rachel Stauffer and Daniel F. Gottlieb on Nov 21, 2024
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
On October 29, 2024, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a proposed rule to implement US President Joe Biden’s Executive Order (EO) 14117. This order aims to prevent countries of concern from accessing Americans’ sensitive personal data and US-government-related data. The proposal specifically includes health data as a category of sensitive personal data that...
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Virtual Care Policy Update: What to Expect in Lame Duck
By Rachel Stauffer and Leigh Feldman on Nov 19, 2024
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), 2023 (Public Law 117-328), extended certain key virtual care flexibilities instituted during the COVID-19 public health emergency through December 31, 2024. This includes the telehealth safe harbor for health savings account-eligible high deductible health plans. Without congressional action, these waivers and flexibilities will end on December 31, 2024. Read the...
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HHS, Labor, and Treasury Finalize Mental Health Parity Rule
By Katie Waldo, Rachel Stauffer, Erica Stocker, Jeffrey Davis, Leigh Feldman, Julia Grabo and Maddie News on Sep 26, 2024
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans, Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
On September 9, 2024, the US Departments of Health and Human Services , Labor, and the Treasury finalized a rule related to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. This rule introduces significant updates to mental health and substance use disorder benefits, ensuring parity with medical and surgical benefits. Key changes include enhanced protections...
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Telehealth: Regulatory Questions Amid Legislative Uncertainty
By Jeffrey Davis and Rachel Stauffer on Jul 18, 2024
Posted In Digital Health, Health and Welfare Plans
One year on from the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the Medicare restrictions on telehealth that Congress waived to allow for and expand the use of telehealth and other forms of virtual care are set to expire. Congress has already acted twice to extend the waivers, most recently in the Consolidated Appropriations Act,...
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Exploring the Virtual Care Policy Landscape One Year Post-PHE
By Rachel Stauffer, Leigh Feldman, Julia Grabo, Rachel Hollander and Erica Stocker on Jun 13, 2024
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
May 11, 2024, marked one year since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), and not much has changed in Medicare telehealth policy. We are still operating under temporary waivers and flexibilities and, as a result, many pandemic-era virtual care policies are facing a cliff on December 31, 2024. This looms large during...
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2024 Chart of Healthcare Regulations
By Kristen O'Brien, Rachel Stauffer, Katie Waldo and Jeffrey Davis on Apr 24, 2024
Posted In Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
During this election year, McDermottPlus is actively monitoring annual regulations that federal agencies are expected to release, as well as “ad hoc” regulations that will be released at the discretion of federal agencies. This chart displays health-related regulations that may be issued this year, organized by federal agency and date of potential release. Access the...
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2024: The Year of the Telehealth Cliff
By Lisa Schmitz Mazur, Rachel Stauffer, Debra Curtis and Leigh Feldman on Feb 5, 2024
Posted In Digital Health, Employee Benefits, Health and Welfare Plans
What does December 31, 2024, mean to you? New Year’s Eve? Post-2024 election? Too far away to know? Our answer: December 31, 2024, is when we will go over a “telehealth cliff” if Congress fails to act before that date, directly impacting care and access for Medicare beneficiaries. What is this telehealth cliff? Read more...
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