Member

Elizabeth Ann Johnson (Betsy)

Elizabeth “Betsy” Johnson is a Member of the firm in the Lexington office. She concentrates her practice in all aspects of health law, focusing on regulatory matters impacting both providers and payors.

Betsy has a diverse career serving in both legal and policy roles in state government and the private sector. On behalf of governmental agencies and while in the private sector, she successfully advocated for the passage of legislation impacting health care by testifying before numerous legislative committees and meeting with members of the Kentucky legislature and members of Congress. Betsy has spent her career building and maintaining relationships with individuals on both the state and national level.

Besides serving as Kentucky’s Medicaid commissioner, Betsy spent six years as health insurance regulatory counsel for the Department of Insurance. While in this role, she successfully defended Kentucky’s any willing provider law before the United States Supreme Court. Most recently, she served as the President/Executive Director of the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities/Kentucky Center for Assisted Living, where she grew the association membership by 30%, created the first assisted living community chapter, and successfully advocated for increased Medicaid funding and regulatory reform. Betsy serves on the American Health Care Association Legal Committee.

Recent News, Articles & Speaking Engagements

Talk of the Town: Betsy Johnson Appointed to Lexington's Human Rights Commission

by editor, Attorney At Law Magazine, September 4, 2024

Betsy Johnson Elected to Kentucky Nonprofit Network Board

by editor, Attorney At Law Magazine, February 16, 2024

Could Changes Be Coming to Kentucky's Certificate of Need Program?

Elizabeth Ann Johnson returns to Stites & Harbison in Lexington

by staff writer, The Lane Report, December 11, 2023

The Never-Ending Debate Over Health Care Narrow Networks

Law360.com, March 12, 2014

Health Care Reform and the Affordable Care Act: Preparing Small Businesses for Implementations Yet to Come

15th Annual Big Sandy Women's Business Symposium, Prestonburg, Ky., February 25, 2014

Navigating the Affordable Health Care Act: Making it work for your small business

Business Lexington luncheon, panel member, February 4, 2014

Affordable Care Act compliance: Enforcement provisions and audit preparation

Affordable Care Act Conference, Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountants, Louisville, Ky., November 8, 2013

The Affordable Care Act, The Changing Landscape in 2014

8th Annual ABA National GPSolo & Small Firm Conference, Lexington, KY, Oct. 3-4, 2013

Affordable Care Act: Changing Landscape for Employers and Employees

sponsored by Epic Insurance Solutions and Advanced Payroll Systems, Louisville, Ky., July 18, 2013

Wild World of the Affordable Care Act

Renasant Bank and Stites & Harbison complimentary seminar, Nashville, Tenn., June 27, 2013

Efficiency is Healthy for Accountable Care Organizations

quoted in article, The Lane Report, June 8, 2013 (click here to view article)

The New World of Medicare and Medicaid - The Affordable Care Act and Beyond

Kentucky CPA Healthcare Conference, Louisville, Ky., May 16, 2013

Employer Impacts and Strategic Planning

Old National Insurance, Health Care Reform Seminar, Louisville, Ky., May 15, 2013

Wild World of the Affordable Care Act

Fayette County Bar Association Healthcare Section, Lexington, Ky., May 14, 2013

Are you ready for the 2014 large employer health insurance "option"

Health Care Reform - What Now?

Stites & Harbison, PLLC, Thirsty Thursday networking event, Louisville, Ky., September 27, 2012

Risk, Employment, and Compliance Issues for Healthcare Providers

Stites & Harbison, PLLC, Thirsty Thursday networking event, Lexington, Ky., July 12, 2012

Legal Update: Senate Bill 110 and Other Hot Topics

Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons 2012 Spring Meeting, Florence, Ind., May 18, 2012

The False Claims Act: What Every Nursing Home Should Know

Timely Topics in Health Care, Louisville Bar Association & Health Law Section, Louisville, Ky., December 14, 2011

What Every Nursing Facility Should Know About the False Claims Act

Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities Annual Meeting, Louisville, Ky., November 15, 2011

Make Way for Medicaid Managed Care: What to expect as Kentucky departs from traditional fee-for-service reimbursement in favor of managed care for Medicaid recipients across the Commonwealth

Louisville Bar Association's Bar Briefs, November 2011

PPACA and the Sunshine Act: How it Relates to Clinical Research

Clinical Research Center Spring Symposium: Health Care Reform, Billing, Compliance and Ethics: Challenges for the Research Professional, Lexington, Ky., April 22, 2011

Are you prepared for the upcoming implementation of ICD-10?

Health Care Reform Implementation

Panelist, American Cancer Society Mid-South Board Meeting, July 24, 2010

Kentucky Justice Association Conference on Medicaid and Third Party Liability

June 16, 2010

Kentucky Justice Association Conference on Medicaid and Third Party Liability

June 4, 2010

Health Care Reform Conference

Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, June 3, 2010

Health Care Reform Conference

Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, May 21, 2010
Bar Admissions
Kentucky
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
U.S. Supreme Court
Memberships
American Bar Association, Health Law Section
Kentucky Bar Association
American Health Lawyers Association
American Health Care Association, Legal Committee
Community Involvement

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission (Sept. 2024 - Jan. 2028)

Kentucky Nonprofit Network, Board of Directors (2024-present)

Education
More Than Stites & Harbison

Prior to joining Stites & Harbison, Betsy was the President/Executive Director of the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities/Kentucky Center for Assisted Living (KAHCF/KAM); Commissioner for Department for Medicaid Services, Commonwealth of Kentucky (January 2008 – September 2010); Deputy Commissioner for the Department for Employee Insurance, Commonwealth of Kentucky (September 2006 – January 2008); Legislative Committee Analyst for the House State Government Committee and Senate State and Local Government Committee-Legislative Research Commission (June 2005 – September 2006); Counsel to the Commonwealth’s Department of Insurance (July 1999 – June 2005); Administrative Law Judge for the Cabinet for Health Services, Administrative Hearings Branch (August 1996 – July 1999); and staff attorney for the Commonwealth of Kentucky Court of Appeals (September 1994 – August 1996). Betsy served as Counsel of Record in the case of Kentucky Association of Health Plans v. Miller, 538 U.S. 329 (2003), successfully defending Kentucky's state Any Willing Provider statute against a federal ERISA preemption challenge.

Outside of practicing law, Betsy enjoys spending time with her family and friends. In her spare time, she likes to travel, exercise and read.

See more related to Elizabeth Ann Johnson (Betsy)
Press Releases

Betsy Johnson Appointed to Lexington’s Human Rights Commission

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton and the Urban County Council recently appointed Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Elizabeth “Betsy” Johnson to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission. Her term expires on January 1, 2028.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC September 04, 2024
Press Releases

Betsy Johnson Elected to Kentucky Nonprofit Network Board

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Kentucky Nonprofit Network (KNN) recently elected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Elizabeth “Betsy” Johnson to the organization’s Board of Directors. She will serve a three-year term.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC February 19, 2024
Client Alerts

Could Changes Be Coming to Kentucky's Certificate of Need Program?

Certificate of Need (“CON”) laws are often hot button issues for state lawmakers – and for Kentucky lawmakers there is no exception. During the 2023 regular session of the Kentucky General Assembly, House and Senate Concurrent Resolutions were introduced calling for the establishment of a Certificate of Need Task Force (“CON Task Force”). Health care attorney Betsy Johnson takes a look at the Task Force's findings in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.

by Elizabeth Ann Johnson (Betsy) January 02, 2024
Press Releases

Elizabeth Ann "Betsy" Johnson Returns to Stites & Harbison in Lexington, KY

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that attorney Elizabeth “Betsy” Johnson has returned to the firm’s Lexington, Ky., office. She is a Member (Partner) in the Health Care Service Group.

by Stites & Harbison, PLLC December 12, 2023
Client Alerts

Are you ready for the 2014 large employer health insurance "option"

“The Court today decides to save a statute . . . [and] rules that what the statute declares to be a requirement with a penalty is instead an option subject to a tax.” National...
by Elizabeth Ann Johnson (Betsy) March 28, 2013
Client Alerts

Are you prepared for the upcoming implementation of ICD-10?

This month—January 2011—is the time Covered Entities should begin internal testing of Version 5010 standards for electronic claims of the new ICD-10 coding system. All payers, providers, and other Covered Entities under the Health...
by Elizabeth Ann Johnson (Betsy) January 18, 2011