Californians are fortunate to have the strongest patients' rights laws in the nation. The DMHC is here to make sure these laws are followed and that all health plan members get the right care at the right time. Find out how in this section.
Brent Barnhart was appointed by Governor Brown on August 11, 2011, to serve as the director of the Department of Managed Health Care. Prior to his appointment, he had retired from his position as a senior counsel at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, where he assisted in compliance activities, including interactions with the DMHC. He also represented Kaiser Permanente at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, dealing primarily with financial regulation standards and national insurance privacy standards.
He has extensive experience in both health care and government, having worked as a policy committee consultant to the California State Assembly for three years in a variety of assignments, including the Judiciary Committee, the Insurance Committee, and the Office of Research, where he dealt primarily with health, insurance, and corporate governance issues.
Prior to his government service, he was an attorney and lobbyist for the health insurance industry in Sacramento – as legislative affairs director for Blue Cross of California, and as counsel and secretary to the Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies.
Previous experience also includes serving as the California legislative director of the American Civil Liberties Union, representing ACLU before the California Legislature.
Licensed to practice law in both California and Indiana, he received his juris doctorate from Indiana University, Bloomington, and his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of California, Riverside.
