Thomas Barker joined Foley Hoag in March 2009. Thomas splits his time between the firm's Washington, DC and Boston offices and focuses his practice on complex federal and state health care legal and regulatory matters. Prior to joining the firm, he was acting General Counsel at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Since arriving at Foley Hoag, Thomas has focused his practice on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement issues for innovator pharmaceutical products; provided legal, regulatory and strategic advice for multiple Medicare providers, including dialysis facilities, medical device manufacturers, and innovator pharmaceutical companies; provided crisis counseling and legal advice to Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans undergoing CMS audits; and, with the enactment of health care reform legislation in the Spring of 2010, has begun counseling clients on the multiple changes to health care laws that have occurred as a result of the legislation.
Prior to coming to Foley Hoag, Thomas served in a succession of high-level federal health care policy positions throughout the Bush Administration. In 2008, he served as acting General Counsel of HHS; from 2005 – 2008, he served as health policy advisor under HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt. While serving as acting General Counsel, Thomas oversaw a staff of some 450 attorneys responsible for reviewing every regulation and interpretive guidance published by the Department. In that role, he provided legal advice to Secretary Leavitt, along with the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service and Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
