Karen Pollitz is a Senior Fellow at KFF.  She co-directs the Program on Patient and Consumer Protections, examining what consumers and patients face as they navigate the health care system, including financial barriers, administrative complexity, lack of transparency, and problems accessing providers. She also works with the Program on the ACA, tracking implementation of private market reforms with a focus on consumer protections.  Prior to joining KFF, she worked at the US Department of Health and Human Services on national health reform (2010-2011 and 1993-1997) and directed research on private health insurance at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute. She has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA from Oberlin College.