Katie is the Leader of the Health Practice. Harnessing a client-centric approach, Katie counsels employers, insurers, governmental entities, and plan sponsors on health and welfare benefit planning and design, fringe benefits, and the day-to-day intricacies of compliance and new benefit and product launches.
Katie’s keen consideration to detail, combined with her technical experience, are valued by clients as they review existing practices and introduce new benefits to their employees and customers in both conventional and innovative forms. Clients rely on Katie’s extensive experience, which encompasses the full range of federal and state laws that impact the administration of health & welfare benefit plans, cafeteria plans, health savings accounts (HSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), flexible spending arrangements (FSAs), voluntary employees’ beneficiary associations (VEBAs), wellness programs, expatriate coverage, fringe benefits, captive insurance arrangements, and other employee benefit arrangements. Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic had clients seeking Katie’s ongoing guidance on compliance issues related to remote work, new benefit mandates, and employee giving funds.
In addition to her work with well-established organizations in the technology, government contracting, health insurance, and pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors, Katie also helps to address the unique issues and opportunities facing start-ups and companies with unconventional workforces.
Before joining Groom over a decade ago, she worked at the Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Chief Counsel and, to this day, maintains a longstanding interest in keeping clients proactively updated on the implications of evolving tax rules and regulations. She also represents clients in obtaining private letter rulings and in IRS audits.
Katie is the co-author of the EBIA Consumer-Driven Health Care treatise (published by Thomson Reuters). She also regularly speaks on employee benefit matters, such as wellness plans, account-based plans, lifestyle spending accounts, and the tax implications of benefits law.
In her pro-bono work, Katie has assisted charities with tax matters and Washington, D.C. residents with Medicare Part D enrollment, home health care, and Social Security Disability appeals.
