Rick Van Buren

About Richard

Rick Van Buren is a seasoned policy expert with over a decade of experience navigating health care complexities in the federal government. He advises Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies’ clients on issues related to national health care access, coverage, and reimbursement policies. Rick works closely with Alexandra Campau to help lead CPS’ health care team.

Rick’s career has spanned the legislative and executive branches, providing him with an unparalleled understanding of how policy is crafted and implemented. He is recognized throughout both the government and health care industry circles as a leading authority on Medicaid and other national health care programs. Most recently, Rick served as senior health policy counsel on the Democratic staff of the Energy and Commerce Committee under ranking member, Congressman Frank Pallone, advising on critical issues such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and community health centers, drawing on his deep knowledge of these programs which cover nearly 90 million Americans and represent a significant portion of national health care spending.

Prior to joining the Energy and Commerce Committee, Rick was a senior analyst with the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), the key legislative branch agency that advises Congress, the executive branch, and the states on Medicaid and CHIP. Earlier in his career, he spent nearly three years as a health insurance specialist at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) within the Department of Health and Human Services and three and a half years working for Senator Sheldon Whitehouse as legislative assistant/counsel for the senator’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Aging Committee work.

Rick holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. in English Writing and Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh.