Michele Melden, JD

Principal

Health Management Associates

Los Angeles, CA

[javascript protected email address]

(213) 314-9090

Michele Melden has spent more than 25 years as a healthcare lawyer, primarily working on behalf of low-income consumers.

Prior to joining HMA, she was coordinator of the Health Consumer Alliance (HCA), a collaborative partnership of legal services organizations serving healthcare consumers throughout California. She has extensive expertise in Medicaid coverage, the Affordable Care Act, long-term services and supports, and Medi-Cal managed care, with a focus on helping consumers overcome barriers to qualifying for coverage and accessing services. Michele has worked closely with safety net healthcare providers and other stakeholders serving low-income and culturally diverse consumers. In addition to her work for HCA, she has served as the director of policy, training, and development for the healthcare unit of the Legal Aid Society of San Diego since 2006.

Michele’s prior work experience includes teaching healthcare and contracts law at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, launching the Health Consumer Center of Los Angeles at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, working on Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement issues for hospital providers at Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, and providing national legal services support work at the National Health Law Program.

Michele has published articles on healthcare policy in law reviews and practitioner publications, testified in Congress and for the California legislature on numerous occasions, and has acted as lead counsel in successful class action/impact lawsuits.

Michele graduated from Harvard Law School and Wellesley College, and she clerked on the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Michele is a proud parent to three kids (and two doggies) who take her in many different directions at once. She enjoys cooking, reading, theater, and yoga, and extended trips to France.