Bio: M. Benjamin Popkin, JD, MPH, recently opened his consulting office to offer government affairs services to stakeholders in the health, insurance and legislative affairs areas. He is owner of The Law Office of Maurice B. Popkin, Esquire, PLLC, through which he provides related legal services as appropriate to the needs of his clients.

Before leaving public service as a career State employee, Ben served as Assistant Secretary for Legislation for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and was legislative counsel and the director of the Department’s Office of Government Affairs.   

Before joining DHHS, Ben served as the director of Government Affairs and legislative counsel to NC Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin at the Department of Insurance (DOI).  Ben was project director for North Carolina’s ACA Planning and Establishment Cooperative Agreement-funded activities, managing approximately $90 million in funds and coordinating the Department’s Affordable Care Act activities. 

Prior to joining DOI, Ben was a staff attorney at the North Carolina General Assembly in both the Legislative Drafting and Research Divisions where he was responsible for drafting and analysis of health and insurance legislation, was staff attorney for the General Assembly’s standing health and insurance committees and all related study committees, and was named staff vice chair to the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Standing Committee on Health.  

Ben has a master’s degree of public health in health policy and administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Public Health, a juris doctorate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree in international studies from UNC-Chapel Hill.