Matthew Hittle, Former CMS Senior Advisor and Capitol Hill Veteran, Joins Akin

(Washington, D.C.) – Akin Gump today announced that Matthew Hittle has joined the firm as a senior policy advisor in its public law and policy practice. Mr. Hittle comes to Akin Gump from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), where he served as a senior advisor to Administrator Seema Verma. Previously, he served as an aide to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and former Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD).

At CMS, Mr. Hittle was an advisor to the head of the nation’s premier health agency, counseling Administrator Verma on the full suite of health policy and strategy issues. He played an integral role on several COVID-19 task forces and working groups, receiving three 2020 CMS Honor Awards for his work. He was also a key participant in negotiations for the Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technologies proposed rule issued in August 2020.

Prior to CMS, Mr. Hittle served as legislative director to Rep. Noem, then a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, advising on—and leading efforts involving—the Health Insurance Tax repeal, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Medicare payment reforms and Indian Health Service oversight, among other issues.

At Akin Gump, Mr. Hittle will advise clients on health policy and regulatory compliance issues, including coverage, coding and pricing; value-based payment; health innovations; and COVID-19. 

“With almost a decade of service in government, Matt has the skills and experience to help clients navigate complex legislative and regulatory processes,” said G. Hunter Bates, co-head of Akin Gump’s public law and policy practice. “At this critical juncture in Washington, Matt’s extensive knowledge and background will be extremely valuable to clients with pressing health care policy and regulatory concerns. I am excited to have Matt on our team and look forward to his many contributions here.”

Added Mr. Hittle, “It has been an honor to serve the public for nearly a decade, most recently alongside my incredible colleagues at CMS. As I move to the next phase of my career, I am thrilled to join Akin Gump’s phenomenal team of seasoned health care policy professionals and look forward to assisting the firm’s clients on the full spectrum of health policy and regulatory issues.”

Mr. Hittle received both an M.A.in political science and his B.A. in political science and philosophy from the University of South Dakota.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers and advisors in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1945, the firm is proudly celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2020. #AkinGump75

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