Kara Oakley, Esq.

PANEL:
Military Children’s Mental Health

Kara is the principal of Oakley Capitol Consulting, LLC, focusing on public policy, strategy and advocacy.

Having devoted much of her career to representation of children’s hospitals, she has expertise in child health policy and healthcare financing. Kara has positioned children’s hospitals to thrive in a complex Department of Defense health care system, improved children’s health coverage and access to care, and accomplished millions of dollars in reimbursement improvements and recoupment of underpayments.

Kara is proud of legislative accomplishments such as crafting the seminal legislation to improve military healthcare for children, Tricare for Kids, and shepherding it through Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act; ensuring concurrent hospice coverage for children of military families; and improving access and coverage of respite care and other critical services for families impacted by complex, chronic and disabling conditions.

Always a problem-solver, Kara appreciates the challenges inherent in politics and policy. She excels in identifying common ground and crafting innovative approaches, such as community partnerships and strategic alliances, to achieve goals.

Kara founded and leads the Tricare for Kids Coalition of stakeholders working to improve healthcare and support services for children of military and veteran families.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee and Florida State University College of Law with honors, Kara cheers the Volunteers and Seminoles to victory from her home in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.