An associate in Groom’s health and welfare practice, Kalena Kettering focuses her practice on the health plan provisions of ERISA. She advises health insurance companies and employers on a range of compliance matters, including defense of government enforcement and investigations, and counseling on regulatory agendas and other state and federal initiatives.
With a priority on achieving optimal outcomes for her clients, Kalena applies her litigation background to representing and advocating on behalf of clients when defending against disputes and federal enforcement action relating to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (“MHPAEA”), the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”), the No Surprises Act (“NSA”), and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (“CAA 2021”). She also advises clients on emerging technology issues, including the interplay between state AI privacy mandates, HIPAA, and federal ERISA standards, as well as telehealth and digital health compliance.
Kalena attended the University of California, Los Angeles and graduated with honors from George Washington University Law School. While in law school, she served as a Dean’s Fellow in the GW Law Legal Research & Writing Program, Vice President of the Student Bar Association, and as an Executive Editor for the George Washington International Law Review. Kalena was also selected to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Board. As a legal intern with the National Association of the Deaf, she advocated for hard of hearing and deaf individuals under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
