WASHINGTON, D.C., January 16, 2024 — Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies (CPS) today welcomed veteran health care staffer Rick Van Buren to its federal practice. Van Buren is recognized throughout both the federal government and health care industry circles as a leading authority on Medicaid and other national health care programs. He comes to CPS after spending more than a decade in the government, where he most recently served as senior health policy counsel to the Energy and Commerce Committee’s top Democrat, ranking member, Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), and before that worked for Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). He joins Public Strategies as a senior principal and will work out of its Washington, D.C., office.
Van Buren will partner with Alexandra Campau, who previously served as health policy counsel to Senator John Barrasso at the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee, health policy adviser to Congressman Tom Price at the U.S. House Budget Committee, and Special Assistant to the President for Health Policy at the White House Domestic Policy Council, to help lead Public Strategies’ expanding health care team. Between Van Buren and Campau, as well as other Public Strategies team members who covered health care portfolios during their time working in the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CPS offers clients extensive experience serving both sides of the aisle in the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate, and the executive branch. Van Buren and Campau will continue CPS’s focus on issues related to national health care access, coverage, and reimbursement policies.
“Given the often-technical nature of health care lobbying, it’s important to have a lobbying team with policy expertise. Between Rick and Alex, we can offer clients and prospective clients a bipartisan duo with unparalleled health policy experience working at the highest levels of government," said Howard Schweitzer, CEO of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Rick to the Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies health team. He’s trusted and respected by leaders across government, and his expertise, thoughtfulness, and strategic sense add tremendous value for our health care clients,” said Campau.
As a top health counsel for the House Energy and Commerce Committee — one of the key health care committees in Congress — Van Buren served as Ranking Member Pallone’s lead staffer on Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), nursing homes, and community health centers. His experience and deep understanding of the Medicaid program and CHIP — which provide health insurance to approximately 90 million individuals and represent approximately 18 percent of the country’s national health care spending — will be of particular value to Public Strategies’ clients.
Prior to joining the Energy and Commerce Committee, Van Buren was a senior analyst with MACPAC, the key legislative branch agency that advises Congress, the executive branch, and the states on Medicaid and CHIP. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly three years as a health insurance specialist at CMS within the Department of Health and Human Services; and three and a half years working for Senate Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, (D-R.I.) as legislative assistant/counsel for the senator’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Aging Committee work.
“I’m excited to be joining Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies. Its reputation is well known and highly respected on Capitol Hill and throughout the health care industry,” Van Buren said. I can’t wait to work with Alex to help further build out our national health care policy practice.”
Van Buren earned his J.D. at the Georgetown University Law Center and his B.A. in political science and English at the University of Pittsburgh.
About Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. The firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis and tracking, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries: healthcare, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.
About Cozen O’Connor
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 825 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 32 offices across two continents.