B.I.G. Consultants

Michael E. Huotari, B.B.A., J.D.
BIG Senior Consultant

A nationally recognized health care attorney, Mr. Huotari has nearly 30 years experience in health care business and law. His distinguished career has included public sector service in the State of Colorado, the private practice of law focused on corporate and regulatory issues, and as a senior executive with a regional health insurance company.

Mr. Huotari received a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan, School of Business Administration. He received his J.D. cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School.

Mr. Huotari's consulting practice focuses on corporate, regulatory and compliance matters for the health care industry. He is a participant in the WEDI Privacy Policy Advisory Group. His HIPAA clients include: providers; payors; employers; brokers; and clearinghouses. He has also worked with software/ASP vendors to revise their contracts and license agreements to conform to HIPAA.

From 1996 to 2000, Mr. Huotari was Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans and affiliated HMOs in Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico. Affiliate companies included life, worker's compensation, and dental companies. In addition to his role as General Counsel, his responsibilities in this executive position included: government relations, compliance, communications, risk management, facilities, and strategic planning. Included in his responsibilities of risk management and compliance was providing leadership within the organization to prepare for Y2K and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Before returning to private practice of law and consulting in 2002 he served as Vice President and General Counsel of DMCare Inc., a disease management company.

For 15 years, Mr. Huotari was a partner in a Colorado-based law firm specializing in health care. His focus included corporate and regulatory representation of health care organizations with a specialty in managed care and insurance. He was general counsel to several HMOs and the Colorado Association of HMOs. His professional activities also included representation of insurance companies, including organization and licensure, acquisitions and mergers, and ERISA matters.

His public service in Colorado included two years as Chairman of the Colorado Hospital Commission, which established a program of uniform reporting and prospective rate settings for Colorado hospitals. For three years he was an Assistant Attorney General representing the Colorado Department of Health. In this capacity, he served as counsel for the Colorado Department of Health, the Colorado Board of Health, and the Health Facilities Review Counsel. His general duties with the Attorney General's office included State and Federal court litigation, and drafting and reviewing of contracts and leases.

Mr. Huotari is a member of the Board of Directors of Rocky Mountain Health Plans, Inc., CNIC Health Solutions, Inc and Jefferson Center for Mental Health, Inc. He is a member of the Colorado and American Bar Associations, and the American Health Lawyers Association.