Samuel Ruddy
Areas of Focus
Overview
Samuel H. Ruddy litigates complex health care and employee benefits disputes. As a member of Crowell & Moring’s Health Care Group and cross-sectional Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, Sam represents managed care organizations, health insurers, employers, trade associations, and health care providers in federal, state, and arbitral forums. He also counsels managed care organizations, health insurers, and trade associations regarding mental health parity and provider reimbursement issues, and he has advised health care providers and patient advocacy organizations on price transparency compliance.
Career & Education
- The White House
Associate, Office of Presidential Personnel, 2015–2016 - Department of Commerce
Special Assistant, Enforcement and Compliance, International Trade Administration, 2016–2017
- The White House
- University of Pennsylvania, B.A., magna cum laude, 2015
- Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., magna cum laude, 2020
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court of New Mexico
Sam's Insights
Client Alert | 6 min read | 09.14.26
Mental Health Parity Bulletin Restates Best Practices for Evaluating Compliance
On September 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued “Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2026-03” to clarify compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTL). Under the 2013 final rule implementing MHPAEA, health plans and issuers must use comparable processes, strategies, evidentiary standards, or other factors when applying NQTLs and they cannot apply such methods more stringently to benefits for mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) compared to benefits for general medical and surgical care. While the bulletin doesn’t break much new ground on compliance, it does reaffirm existing enforcement priorities and expectations.
Firm News | 7 min read | 01.09.26
Crowell & Moring Elects 15 New Partners, Promotes One to Senior Counsel and 26 to Counsel
Speaking Engagement | 11.05.25
Webinar | 09.25.25
Representative Matters
- Representing health plans in litigation and arbitration matters regarding reimbursement rates and provider billing practices.
- Defending health benefit plan claims administrators in appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit regarding mental health benefits.
- Representing health insurance issuers in class actions regarding mental health benefits.
- Representing a health plan in a class action challenging health benefit plan hearing aid exclusions.
- Defending health benefit plan claims administrators against ERISA denial of benefit and breach of fiduciary duty claims.
- Defending managed care organizations against ERISA breach of fiduciary duty claims alleging health benefit claims overpayments.
- Representing a nursing home in appeals challenging a state Inspector General’s audit adjustment to the home’s per diem Medicaid rate.
- Drafting appellate amicus briefs on ERISA statutory interpretation issues for trade associations representing employee benefit plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and service providers.
- Serving as outside general counsel for a trade association representing managed care organizations on behavioral health policy issues.
- Counseling health plans on compliance with mental health parity laws and regulations.
- Counseling managed care organizations, health care providers, and patient advocates on federal No Surprises Act regulations.
Sam's Insights
Client Alert | 6 min read | 09.14.26
Mental Health Parity Bulletin Restates Best Practices for Evaluating Compliance
On September 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued “Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2026-03” to clarify compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTL). Under the 2013 final rule implementing MHPAEA, health plans and issuers must use comparable processes, strategies, evidentiary standards, or other factors when applying NQTLs and they cannot apply such methods more stringently to benefits for mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) compared to benefits for general medical and surgical care. While the bulletin doesn’t break much new ground on compliance, it does reaffirm existing enforcement priorities and expectations.
Firm News | 7 min read | 01.09.26
Crowell & Moring Elects 15 New Partners, Promotes One to Senior Counsel and 26 to Counsel
Speaking Engagement | 11.05.25
Webinar | 09.25.25
Insights
Finding a Constitutional Home for the Public Trust Doctrine
|01.01.20
43 Environs Environmental Law & Policy Journal 139
- |
01.01.19
108 Georgetown Law Journal Online 80
Sam's Insights
Client Alert | 6 min read | 09.14.26
Mental Health Parity Bulletin Restates Best Practices for Evaluating Compliance
On September 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued “Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2026-03” to clarify compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTL). Under the 2013 final rule implementing MHPAEA, health plans and issuers must use comparable processes, strategies, evidentiary standards, or other factors when applying NQTLs and they cannot apply such methods more stringently to benefits for mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) compared to benefits for general medical and surgical care. While the bulletin doesn’t break much new ground on compliance, it does reaffirm existing enforcement priorities and expectations.
Firm News | 7 min read | 01.09.26
Crowell & Moring Elects 15 New Partners, Promotes One to Senior Counsel and 26 to Counsel
Speaking Engagement | 11.05.25
Webinar | 09.25.25
