Health Care Regulatory and Enforcement Attorney Dennis (“Denny”) Jones Joins Epstein Becker Green in San Francisco

Former DHCS counsel with deep California health plan and provider regulatory experience strengthens firm's managed care and health care enforcement capabilities

Epstein Becker Green announced today that Denny Jones has joined the firm's Health Care and Life Sciences practice as a Member of the Firm in San Francisco. Jones brings nearly a decade of experience as government counsel at California's Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) that administers the Medi-Cal program, and a background in private practice representing health plans and providers in regulatory enforcement actions, provider payment disputes, and compliance matters.

California's regulatory environment for health plans and providers grows more complex by the year, compounded by elevated scrutiny and pressures from the federal government and its enforcement contractors. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) and DHCS all maintain aggressive enforcement postures, while provider-payor payment disputes consume significant time and resources. State-level regulatory requirements, including Knox-Keene Act compliance, Medi-Cal program requirements, and administrative hearing procedures, also demand counsel who understand how state agencies approach enforcement and what influences resolution.

“Denny brings a perspective that is increasingly valuable for our health care clients in California,” said George Breen, a Chair of Epstein Becker Green's Health Care and Life Sciences National Steering Committee. “His years on both sides of the regulatory table, managing DHCS's enforcement caseload and representing clients responding to those inquiries, give him a granular understanding of how these proceedings unfold. That insight is precisely what health plans and providers need when navigating high-stakes regulatory matters, both in California and nationally.”

During Jones’ tenure at DHCS, he managed the agency's Third-Party Liability litigation caseload, advised on audits, overpayments, and recovery issues, and represented the agency at administrative hearings. He also developed strategies and arguments in published appellate matters, drafted and reviewed plan letters and regulations governing California's Medi-Cal program, and worked with the California Attorney General's Office on complex enforcement actions. Earlier in his DHCS career, Jones served as Chief of the Inmate Medi-Cal Claiming Unit, negotiating contracts with 58 California counties and drafting agreements that secured more than $60 million in federal funding across six inmate reimbursement programs.

“When the opportunity to join Epstein Becker Green arose, the decision was simple,” said Jones. “The firm’s national health care platform and litigation strength give me an opportunity to leverage my years inside California’s health care regulatory system to give clients sophisticated counsel in meeting the demands of their most challenging matters.”

Jones' practice spans the following areas:

• Regulatory Enforcement Representation: Advising health plans and providers in DMHC and DHCS enforcement actions, administrative hearings, and appellate proceedings.
• Provider-Payor Dispute Resolution: Using litigation and negotiation experience to resolve complex payment disputes efficiently and reduce the legal expenditure and business disruption such disputes create.
• Early-Stage Compliance Risk Identification: Drawing on his experience evaluating fraud allegations, audits, and overpayment issues as a state regulator to help clients identify and address compliance issues before they escalate into government investigations.
• Cross-Sector Regulatory Guidance: Translating dense regulatory requirements, including Knox-Keene Act, Medi-Cal, and Medicare program rules, into practical, actionable guidance that health care business teams can implement with confidence.

“Beyond his experience in California health care regulatory matters, Denny brings something that matters just as much,” said Raja Sékaran, the Managing Partner of Epstein Becker Green's San Francisco office. “He has a deep understanding of his clients' business objectives and structures his legal strategy around those goals. That's exactly the kind of counsel our clients expect.”

Related Epstein Becker Green Resources

• Health Care and Life Sciences Investigations and Enforcement: Advising health plans and providers on government enforcement actions and regulatory compliance.
• Health Care Litigation: Providing litigation and strategic counsel in health care regulatory matters.
• Health Care: Counseling on managed care, Knox-Keene Act compliance, and payor-provider relationships.

About Epstein Becker Green

Epstein Becker Green is a national law firm focused on health care and life sciences; employment, labor, and workforce management; and litigation and business disputes. Our attorneys advise clients at every stage of their business lifecycle, delivering practical, results-driven counsel that shapes strategy, accelerates growth, and safeguards what matters most. We serve organizations of every size, from emerging startups to Fortune 100 companies, across the health care, life sciences, financial services, retail, hospitality, and technology industries, with sound legal solutions they can depend on when it counts. www.ebglaw.com