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Kate Steadman Ficke, M.P.H.
3000 20th
Street NE, Washington, DC 20018
(202) 202-3162 kateficke@gmail.com
Summary: Innovative healthpolicyleaderwith10+ yearsof policy,operations,programmanagement,and
communicationsexpertise.Oversix yearsof experiencewiththe implementationof the Affordable Care Act at a
Federal level.Demonstratedleadershipin fast-paced,political environments.Skillsinclude:Federal andState health
insurance programmanagementandoperations,Federalcontractoroversight(includingcontractsover$1Billionin
value),staff managementandmentoring, communicationsstrategy, ITAgile development, policybriefsand
presentations, socialmedia,consumerwebtools,and journalism/editing.
Work Experience
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) September 2010 – Current
Acting Deputy Director- Divisionof EligibilitySupport October2015 – April 2016
MarketplaceEligibility and EnrollmentGroup
 Managed$1.2 BillionEligibilitySupportcontractforthe Federally-FacilitatedHealthInsurance Marketplace
 Oversaw workof 10 CMS staff and 25 contractorstaff performingeligibilitysupportworkforthe Federal
Exchange
 Determinedprioritiesforcomplexresourceandstaffingconstraints
 Presentedpolicy analysis,budgetconsiderations,andorganizational strategy toall levelsof seniorleadership,
includingthe CMSAdministrator, WhiteHouse policy advisors, andOMBstaff
 ApprovedStandardOperatingProcedures,consumercommunicationsmaterials,and editedpolicybriefs
 Oversawdevelopmentandoperational implementationof complex ITtoolsusedtoverify applicant
information
Health Insurance Specialist– Marketplace EligibilityandEnrollmentGroup January 2014 – Current
ExemptionsTeamLead
 Ledthe implementationand developmentof the Federal ProgramforExemptionsfromthe Individual Shared
ResponsibilityPayment
 Managedthe workof 5 staff responsiblefordevelopingoperational policy forprocessingexemption
applicationsfrom49states
 Briefedseniorgovernmentofficialsonoperational andpolicyconsiderations
 Responsible formanagementof EligibilitySupport contractorstaff andworkproducts,including review of
StandardOperatingProcedures,noticestoconsumersandcall scripts
 Builtonline screeningtool tohelpconsumersidentifyexemptionsonHealthcare.gov
 Createdinternal guidelinesforeligibilityprocessing,includingstepsforescalationof complex cases
Health Insurance Specialist– Marketplace EligibilityandEnrollmentGroup October2011 – December 2013
Co-lead,SingleStreamlined Application forHealth Coverage
 Leddevelopment of the Model ApplicationforHealthCoverage forHealthCare.gov andState-based
Exchanges,managinginputfromsubjectmatterexpertsinMedicaid,CHIP,andprivate healthinsurance to
turn Federal eligibilityregulationsintoanapplicationforhealthcare coveragethatwouldbe adoptedby the
Federal Exchange and 19 State-basedExchanges
 AuthoredITrequirementsdocumentsandoversaw contractorwork
 DraftedFederal regulationsforACA eligibilitystandards,includingstandardsforhealthcoverage application
requirements
 PartneredwithCMSOffice of Communicationsandstate agenciestodraftapplicationcontent

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 Determinedprioritiesforconsumertestingandmade recommendationsbasedontestingfindings
Health Insurance Specialist– ConsumerSupport Group September2010 – September2011
ConsumerAssistanceProgramGrantTeam
 Oversawmillionsingrantsto10 statesfor implementationof healthinsurance consumerassistance or
ombudsmanprograms
 Workedwith State officialstohelpdesignconsumerassistance programs
 Reviewed policyissuesanddraftedpolicydocuments
 Analyzed budgetinformationand datasubmittedby States
 DevelopedanddeliveredtrainingsforState officialsand staff abouthealthcare policy
Kaiser Family Foundation January 2006 – August 2010
AssistantEditor – KaiserHealth News January 2009 – August2010
 HelpedstandupmajornewFoundationinitiative, KaiserHealthNews,anon-profitnewsservice
 ManagedKHN’ssocial mediaservices,includingTwitterandFacebook
 ReportedpiecesforKHN whichraninthe Washington Post andMcClatchypapers
 Editedthe KaiserNewsDaily Health Policy Report
 Editedandrecruitedoriginal opinionpiecesfromhealth policy experts
WebWriter– Kaisernetwork.org June2006 – December 2008
 Manageddevelopmentof andmaintainedcontentof health08.org,the Foundation’swebsiteabout
the 2008 electionandhealthissues
 EditedKaiser’s Daily Health Policy Report
 Authorof BlogWatch, a feature trackinghealthpolicyblogging
 Managedcontentof kaisernetwork.org
Awards: Administrator’sCross-ComponentCollaborationAward,2015
CCIIO PartnershipAward,2015
CCIIO Director’sAward, 2015
Health Insurance Marketplace Award, 2014
CMS Administrator’sSpecial Citation, 2013
Education: M.P.H. (December,2013) Concentration in health care policy
The George Washington UniversitySchool of PublicHealthandHealthServices
B.A., Sociologyand Premedicine (June,2005)
Universityof California-SantaCruz
References: Oscar Montes,Vice President,Federal Health,Serco(FederalMarketplace EligibilityContractor)
(703) 587-7190
Oscar.Montes@serco-na.com
CraigStoltz,ManagingEditor,HealthCare.gov
(240) 426-2458
Craig.Stoltz@cms.hhs.gov
Laurie McGinley,Editor,HealthandScience Section, Washington Post
(202) 725-1324
Laurie.McGinley@washingtonpost.com