Susan Relland

Susan Relland assists employers and insurance companies with health policy and compliance issues.  She is active in the current health reform debate and provides strategic advice and representation to clients before Congress and President Obama’s administration.  She also works closely with the federal agencies as they develop guidance on issues such as the COBRA subsidy, Medicare mandatory reporting, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA), HIPAA privacy, mental health parity, cafeteria plans, wellness programs, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).  Ms. Relland’s inside-the-beltway knowledge and her experience regarding all aspects of health plan design and administration add value to her clients as she assists them to implement new rules, address compliance and design issues, and mitigate risk. More >

Susan Relland assists employers and insurance companies with health policy and compliance issues.  She is active in the current health reform debate and provides strategic advice and representation to clients before Congress and President Obama’s administration.  She also works closely with the federal agencies as they develop guidance on issues such as the COBRA subsidy, Medicare mandatory reporting, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA), HIPAA privacy, mental health parity, cafeteria plans, wellness programs, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).  Ms. Relland’s inside-the-beltway knowledge and her experience regarding all aspects of health plan design and administration add value to her clients as she assists them to implement new rules, address compliance and design issues, and mitigate risk.

Ms. Relland’s advisory practice encompasses all legal issues that govern employer-sponsored health and welfare plans.  A primary aspect of her work is advising clients regarding changes in employee benefits law, both at the federal level and as state and local governments impose new employer mandates.  Ms. Relland has experience with all types of health and welfare benefit programs and has particular experience designing consumer-driven health plans.  She also works closely with employers as they seek new ways to improve the health and wellness of their employees, to reduce plan costs while providing higher quality care, and to find creative solutions for delivering health coverage to unique populations, such as part-time restaurant employees.  In addition, when a client is faced with a lawsuit that involves health plan issues, Ms. Relland provides support to the firm’s litigation practice.

As part of her health policy practice, Ms. Relland represents client interests on health and other employee benefit matters in the federal legislation and regulatory processes.  She works with and provides clients guidance on issues emerging from House Committees on Education and Labor and Ways and Means, and Senate Committees on Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.  She also is in frequent contact with staff from the U.S. Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to help resolve specific client issues either on an anonymous or more formal basis.

Prior to joining Miller & Chevalier, Ms. Relland was with Ernst & Young’s human capital practice and served as the Health Policy Legal Counsel for the American Benefits Council.

Ms. Relland does extensive writing and public speaking on topics such as pending legislation affecting health and welfare plans, outlook on the Congressional agenda, recently issued regulations or agency guidance, and cutting-edge solutions for top-of-mind plan design and administrative challenges. < Brief Bio

Representative Engagements|View All