Kristal Vardaman
Kristal Vardaman
Managing Principal, Duals and LTSS
Kristal Vardaman, PhD, MSPH serves as Managing Principal of Medicaid Policy & Programs at Aurrera Health Group. She joined the firm in April 2022, bringing extensive policy analysis and program evaluation experience from the public and private sectors. Kristal holds deep expertise in long-term services and support (LTSS), dually eligible beneficiaries, social determinants of health, and health equity. She leverages her expertise to support clients in designing, implementing, and evaluating LTSS policies and programs.
Kristal currently leads work supporting the California Department of Health Care Services in implementing a managed care program for people living in long-term care settings. She also provides technical assistance and policy analysis to Aurrera Health’s federal, foundation, and association clients. Kristal specializes in managing stakeholder relationships, conducting interviews and environmental scans, creating technical assistance resources to support evidence-based policymaking, and providing strategic advice to clients on program design and administration.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health, Kristal was a Policy Director at the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), where she led a team focused on population health and access issues. She conducted analyses and developed recommendations to Congress for Medicaid program improvement on a range of topics including managed LTSS, integrated care for dually eligible beneficiaries, and home and community-based services. She also managed external research contracts and responded to technical assistance requests from Congressional staff.
Prior to her tenure at MACPAC, Kristal worked at the Government Accountability Office, conducting evaluations of Medicare and Medicaid performance. She also worked as a consultant at Avalere Health, where she decoded Medicare and Medicaid policy to clients across the health care sector. In 2023, Kristal was elected to membership in the National Academy of Social Insurance in recognition of her contributions to the field of social insurance policy.
Kristal holds a doctoral degree in public policy and administration from George Washington University, a master’s degree in health policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a bachelor’s degree in biopsychology and cognitive science from the University of Michigan. A Michigan native, Kristal currently resides in Arlington, VA where she enjoys theater, live music, and visiting museums.
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Education
PhD, Public Policy and Administration, George Washington University
MSPH, Health Policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
BS, Biopsychology and Cognitive Science, University of Michigan
