Mary Prentnieks is experienced in public programs and health law informed by her legal, clinical and policy background. A collaborative project manager with a track record of building relationships and driving results, she joins HMA after serving as senior director associate general counsel at Medica Health Plans.

While there, she provided legal support for Medica’s administration of its Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) contracts, and routinely engaged with the state regarding contract negotiations, procurements, and state fair hearings.  Mary also supported enterprise-wide complementary provider network contract negotiations.

She has experience in legal and compliance-related issues pertaining to Medicare Advantage (MA), MA Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs), MA Institutional Special Needs Plans (I-SNPs), Medicare Cost, and Medicaid programs for families and children, individuals with disabilities, and older adults. Mary has provided legal support to an array of areas including health services initiatives to improve outcomes, care coordination, Medicaid mental health parity, Medicare and Affordable Care Act (ACA) risk adjustment, state and federal privacy and security regulatory requirements, and fraud and abuse. For two years while at Medica, she also served as an adjunct professor teaching privacy law at a Twin Cities law school.

She began her legal and public policy work as director of legal affairs at the Minnesota Medical Association where she focused on health care ethical issues and regulatory requirements, significant healthcare reform and accompanying legislative changes in Minnesota. This experience led Mary to enter, and graduate from, the Harvard University School of Public Health with a Master of Public Health degree. While there, she focused on healthcare financing to round out her clinical and legal backgrounds, and to better address issues related to healthcare reform and the promotion of managed care. After receiving her master’s degree, Mary worked at BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota for several years as senior policy counsel and director of federal relations.

Mary started her health care career working as a critical care nurse and head nurse of a medical unit in the Chicago area, and as a Kaiser-Permanente patient care supervisor of an outpatient facility and regional patient education coordinator in the Washington D.C. area.

She earned her Juris Doctor from Georgetown Law School and her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Loyola University of Chicago.

When not working, Mary enjoys yoga, time outdoors with her long-haired German Shepherd, and visiting her daughter in Napa Valley with her husband.