Member

Elizabeth Ann Johnson (Betsy)

859-226-2275

Elizabeth “Betsy” Johnson is a Member of the firm in the Lexington office. She concentrates her practice in all aspects of health law, focusing on regulatory matters impacting both providers and payors. Betsy understands the important role that the government plays in health care and encourages her clients to have a collaborative working relationship with government officials. Besides practicing law, she is registered with the Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission as an Executive Branch Lobbyist and enjoys connecting her clients with officials in the executive branch.

Betsy has a diverse career serving in both legal and policy roles in state government and the private sector. On behalf of governmental agencies and while in the private sector, she successfully advocated for the passage of legislation impacting health care by testifying before numerous legislative committees and meeting with members of the Kentucky legislature and members of Congress. Betsy has spent her career building and maintaining relationships with individuals on both the state and national level.

Besides serving as Kentucky’s Medicaid commissioner, Betsy spent six years as health insurance regulatory counsel for the Department of Insurance. While in this role, she successfully defended Kentucky’s any willing provider law before the United States Supreme Court. Most recently, she served as the President/Executive Director of the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities/Kentucky Center for Assisted Living, where she grew the association membership by 30%, created the first assisted living community chapter, and successfully advocated for increased Medicaid funding and regulatory reform. Betsy serves on the American Health Care Association Legal Committee.

Bar Admissions

Kentucky

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky

U.S. Supreme Court

Memberships

American Bar Association

,

Health Law Section

Kentucky Bar Association

American Health Lawyers Association

American Health Care Association

,

Legal Committee

Community Involvement

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Human Rights Commission (Sept. 2024 – Jan. 2028)

Kentucky Nonprofit Network, Board of Directors (2024-present)

Education

J.D.,

1994

Temple University School of Law

B.A., Political Science,

University of Kentucky

More Than Stites & Harbison

Prior to joining Stites & Harbison, Betsy was the President/Executive Director of the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities/Kentucky Center for Assisted Living (KAHCF/KAM); Commissioner for Department for Medicaid Services, Commonwealth of Kentucky (January 2008 – September 2010); Deputy Commissioner for the Department for Employee Insurance, Commonwealth of Kentucky (September 2006 – January 2008); Legislative Committee Analyst for the House State Government Committee and Senate State and Local Government Committee-Legislative Research Commission (June 2005 – September 2006); Counsel to the Commonwealth’s Department of Insurance (July 1999 – June 2005); Administrative Law Judge for the Cabinet for Health Services, Administrative Hearings Branch (August 1996 – July 1999); and staff attorney for the Commonwealth of Kentucky Court of Appeals (September 1994 – August 1996). Betsy served as Counsel of Record in the case of Kentucky Association of Health Plans v. Miller, 538 U.S. 329 (2003), successfully defending Kentucky’s state Any Willing Provider statute against a federal ERISA preemption challenge.

Outside of practicing law, Betsy enjoys spending time with her family and friends. In her spare time, she likes to travel, exercise and read.

Contact Resources

Elizabeth Johnson's LinkedIn Profile