Melinda J. Dutton

With extensive public health insurance program and healthcare safety net experience, Melinda Dutton helps clients—including state governments, provider groups and foundations—navigate the legal, regulatory and political challenges of the Affordable Care Act and programs such as Medicaid and CHIP.

With her robust experience in Medicaid, CHIP, marketplaces, delivery system transformation and payment reform, healthcare reform implementation is a significant focus of Melinda’s practice.

A frequent coauthor and panelist on emerging trends in the field, Melinda also has served as a guest lecturer for health law and policy courses at colleges and universities, including New York University School of Law, Columbia Law School and New York Medical College. She was practitioner-in-residence at Saint Louis University School of Law.

Prior to joining Manatt, Melinda worked at the Children’s Defense Fund in New York. There, she helped develop and secure legislation expanding publicly funded health insurance programs for children. Her career in legal advocacy started in Brooklyn, where she helped establish a health law practice serving the borough’s low-income population.