Panel 2: Introduction to the Regulatory Process

March 24, 2026
10:55 am-

12:00 pm

This panel will provide a high-level overview of the regulatory process and the key agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) responsible for implementation. Participants will gain insights into how regulations are developed, the timeline for rulemaking, and opportunities for public engagement. The discussion will also highlight when and how congressional staffers can engage with the regulatory process to ensure effective oversight, influence implementation, and support constituents.

Speakers:

  • Moderator: Elizabeth Jungman, J.D., MPH, Partner, Hogan Lovells
  • Jeremy Sharp, Managing Director, Waxman Strategies
  • Purva Rawal, Ph. D., Managing Principal, Health Transformation Strategies & Advisor, Duke Margolis Institute for Health Policy
  • Alec Aramanda, Principal Deputy Director, Center for Medicare
  • Joe Albanese, MPP, Director of Policy, Center for Medicare

Speakers

Elizabeth Jungman, J.D., MPH

Partner, Hogan Lovells
Elizabeth Jungman is a Partner at the global law firm Hogan Lovells where she provides legal and regulatory counseling primarily to pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients. Prior to joining Hogan, Elizabeth served as the FDA’s Chief of Staff, where she oversaw the day-to-day management of the agency and provided strategic counsel to agency leadership. Prior to that role, Elizabeth led policy for FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) where she helped oversee the development of regulations, policies, and procedures affecting nearly every aspect of CDER. Before joining CDER, Elizabeth was the Director of Public Health Programs at the Pew Charitable Trusts. She has also served as Senior Health Policy Adviser with the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, where she was the Senate lead in drafting and negotiating the FDA Safety and Innovation Act of 2012 and other health- and drug-related legislation.

Purva Rawal, Ph.D.

Managing Principal, Health Transformation Strategies & Advisor, Duke Margolis Institute for Health Policy
Purva Rawal, PhD, is an internationally recognized leader in value-based care and health policy with over 20 years of experience across government, academia, and the private sector. She currently conducts policy research as an advisor to the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy and Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, she serves as Managing Principal at Health Transformation Strategies, where she advises innovative companies and organizations seeking to transform care delivery and systems. Most recently, Dr. Rawal was the Chief Strategy Officer at the CMS Innovation Center, where she helped implement a national strategic vision grounded in accountability and person-centered care. Her prior experience includes a decade in policy research and business strategy consulting, as well as serving as an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University, where she taught the Politics of Health Care. Earlier in her career, Dr. Rawal was a staff member on the Senate Budget Committee during the development of the Affordable Care Act and served as an advisor to Senator Joseph Lieberman. A published author and widely cited expert, her work has appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Health Affairs. She holds a B.A. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

Jeremy Sharp

Managing Director, Waxman Strategies
Jeremy Sharp is Managing Director of the health practice at Waxman Strategies, a mission driven consulting firm. He has more than two decades of health policy experience in both the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. He served in senior positions at the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the Obama Administration, where he helped advance policies and regulations on prescription drugs, food safety and nutrition, tobacco control, reproductive health, public health and preventive health care, and pandemic and bioterrorism preparedness among other issues. Prior to his time in the executive branch Jeremy worked in the US Senate for Senator Christopher J. Dodd as Legislative Director and on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where he worked on enactment of the Affordable Care Act and the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, FDA User Fees, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. He also worked for Rep. Lois Capps and the public health non-profit Trust for America’s Health.

Joe Albanese, MPP

Director of Policy, Center for Medicare
Joe Albanese is the Director of Policy at the Center for Medicare. Joe was previously a Senior Policy Analyst at Paragon Health Institute where his work included numerous published reports and congressional testimonies pertaining to Medicare. Prior to that, he was a Program Examiner on the Medicare team at the White House Office of Management and Budget. Joe holds a Bachelor of Science and Master in Public Policy from Georgetown University.

Alec Aramanda

Principal Deputy Director, Center for Medicare
Alec Aramanda serves as the Principal Deputy Director of the Center for Medicare, overseeing policy and operations related to Medicare fee-for-service, Medicare Advantage, and the Medicare Prescription Drug Program. Prior to joining the Center for Medicare, Alec worked at the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee where he led the Medicare and Health Information Technology portfolio. He previously served at CMS from 2018 through 2021 as the Director of the Office of Legislation and the Director of Stakeholder Engagement. Before joining CMS in 2018 he served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Legislation at the Department of Health and Human Services from 2017 through 2018. He began his public policy career at the Heritage Foundation in 2006 before serving in the U.S. Senate from 2010 through 2017 in the offices of Senators Jim DeMint and Ted Cruz. Before re-joining CMS in February of 2025, he most recently worked at law firm Williams & Jensen. He received a B.A. in Political Science from Haverford College.

Experts

Purva Rawal, Ph.D.

Managing Principal, Health Transformation Strategies & Advisor, Duke Margolis Institute for Health Policy
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