Bruce Merlin Fried is a partner in Sonnenschein’s national Health Care and Public Law & Policy Strategies groups. He has been recognized by Chambers USA and ExpertGuides as one of the leading health care attorneys in the U.S. Mr. Fried is a health care law and policy expert who counsels and represents health plans, physician organizations, hospital groups, consumer organizations, health care information technology and data companies, pharmaceutical and biotech companies and other health care organizations with regard to Medicare, Medicaid, HIPAA and other federal health care programs and policies. Mr. Fried has more than thirty years of experience in health care law and policy, both in the public and private sectors. He served as the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA, now CMS) Director of the Center for Health Plans and Providers where he was responsible for policy and operations for the Medicare program. Prior to that, Mr. Fried was Director of HCFA's Office of Managed Care where he managed the rapid growth of the Medicare managed care program. Prior to joining the government, Mr. Fried was Vice President of Federal Affairs at FHP International Corporation, then one of the nation's largest managed care organizations. Mr. Fried served as Chief Coordinator of the 1992 Clinton/Gore Campaign's Health Care Advisory Group. After the election, he was a member of the President's Transition Health Policy Team. From 1990 to 1994, Mr. Fried was Executive Vice President of The Wexler Group where he counseled and represented insurers, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, clinicians, consumer groups and philanthropies on legislative and regulatory matters. Prior to 1990, Mr. Fried was involved in health care public interest activities and practiced with national, regional and local legal aid organizations. Mr. Fried serves as General Counsel to the Health Technology Center. He also is Counsel to the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the California Association of Physician Groups.