On this episode of Former Fed Friday, Shelley McGuire welcomes Melissa Moreno, co-founder and principal of Medicare Knowledge Partners (MKP) and a longtime former CMS leader. After more than 15 years at CMS, spanning regulatory work, plan engagement, and agency-wide communications and training, Melissa shares how her deep institutional knowledge shaped her decision to launch MKP and continue serving the CMS mission from outside government.

The conversation explores what it really means to transition from federal service into the contracting world, why former feds play a critical role in helping contractors navigate CMS programs, and how insider perspective can bridge gaps between policy intent and real-world execution. Melissa discusses the challenges contractors face when interpreting CMS priorities, the impact of recent organizational and leadership changes, and why the current environment presents a rare opportunity to leverage decades of institutional expertise now entering the private sector.

To connect with Melissa visit her on LinkedIn here.