Manatt Recruits Back One of Nation’s Leading Medicaid Policy Voices

Allison Orris, former CBPP Medicaid Policy Director and senior CMS and OMB official, returns as partner amid sweeping health care policy change

WASHINGTON, Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, an integrated legal and consulting firm, today announced Allison Orris has returned to the Firm as a partner in its nationally recognized health care group. A prominent Medicaid policy leader, Orris brings more than two decades of experience shaping Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Affordable Care Act (ACA) policy across federal agencies, the White House, leading policy organizations and private practice.

“Few professionals have Allison’s depth and breadth of experience across Medicaid policy development, implementation and regulation,” said Bill Bernstein, Partner and Leader of Manatt Health. “Having worked at the highest levels of both the public and private sectors, Allison brings a rare combination of policy expertise, regulatory insight and practical problem-solving experience and her unique perspective will be invaluable to clients navigating a rapidly evolving health care landscape.”

Orris rejoins Manatt from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), where she served as Senior Fellow and Director of Medicaid Policy, bringing notable experience at the intersection of health policy, government and implementation strategy. She will advise health care organizations, health plans and providers, foundations and other stakeholders on Medicaid and CHIP policy, federal and state regulatory developments, coverage and reimbursement issues, delivery system reform initiatives, waiver initiatives and emerging health policy challenges.

Earlier in her career, Orris served as Associate Administrator in the White House Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs and held several senior positions at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), including Senior Policy Advisor in the Center for Medicaid & CHIP Services, Acting Director of the Division of State Demonstrations & Waivers, and Director of the Low-Income Programs Analysis Group in the Office of Legislation. She also served as a presidentially appointed member of the bipartisan Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking. Orris previously spent more than five years at Manatt advising clients on Medicaid strategy, regulatory challenges and health policy issues.

“Manatt’s unparalleled combination of policy, consulting and legal capabilities provides clients with powerful resources to address today’s health care challenges,” said Orris. “The Medicaid and health policy landscape has never been more complex, creating both significant challenges and opportunities. I’m thrilled to return to Manatt and work with an exceptional team, bringing the perspective and insights I’ve gained to help clients navigate change, advance innovative solutions and improve outcomes.”

Orris is the latest addition to Manatt’s expanding bench of professionals in the health care group, including Managing Director Claudia Douglass, a health care transformation leader, Senior Advisor Will Gordon, former Chief Informatics Officer at the CMS Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and National Advisor Michael Moody, who specializes in health care financial services.

Orris earned her J.D. from Yale Law School and B.A. from Columbia University.

About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is a leading professional services firm, providing integrated legal and consulting services to a global client base. With offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento and Silicon Valley), New York (New York City and Albany), Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Boston, the Firm represents sophisticated clients—including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies—across a range of industry sectors such as health care; financial services; entertainment; digital and technology; and energy, environmental and real estate. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.

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