Lauren Anne Birchfield Kennedy (born September 21, 1984) is a health care policy lawyer who currently serves as the director of health policy at the National Partnership for Women & Families. She is also a mother of two and the husband of Democratic Party Politician Joe Kennedy III. ^[1]

Lauren Birchfield Kennedy was born to parents Reverend Dr. Lauren Birchfield Kennedy and Marta Birchfield in Southern California. Lauren's parents both live in Houston, Texas with her father serving as a Pastor at First Presbyterian Church and her mother consulting as a Certified Public Accountant. Lauren has a sister Emily Birchfield who is three years younger than her and lives in San Francisco, California.

Lauren Birchfield Kennedy married her husband Joe Kennedy III on December, 2012. The wedding was officiated by Lauren's father Reverend Dr. James Birchfield at Community Church in Corona Del Mar, California. Lauren and Joe Kennedy first met while taking a course taught by Elizabeth Warren at Harvard Law School. According to Open Secrets, in 2015 Joe Kennedy III had a net worth of $42.98 million.

In December, 2015 San Bernardino attack Lauren and Joe Kennedy had their first child, a daughter they named Eleanor "Ellie" Kennedy. The couple had a second child, a son they named James Matthew Kennedy in December, 2017.

Lauren Birchfield Kennedy is passionate about the issues of human rights and health care policy. She and her husband Joe Kennedy III are both fans of the New England Patriots.

Lauren Anne Birchfield was a Rhodes Scholar finalist at UCLA, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Lauren also studied at Oxford University, and graduated from Harvard Law School in 2009 with honors. At Harvard Law School, she served as Editor in Chief of the Harvard Human Rights Journal. ^[1]

Lauren Birchfield Kennedy is the director of health policy at the National Partnership for Women & Families. Kennedy directs the National Partnership’s health policy portfolio and oversees advocacy strategy for key policy priorities, including implementation of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, health care delivery system transformation and comprehensive payment reform. Kennedy also serves as a public member on the board of Family Medicine for America’s Health. ^[1]

Prior to joining the National Partnership, Lauren Birchfield Kennedy was the senior health policy and government affairs adviser for Boston Medical Center, where she advised on state and federal health policy issues concerning Medicaid and alternative payment methodologies; coordinated the hospital’s delivery system transformation efforts; and provided technical support to the hospital as it explored joining an accountable care organization. ^[1]

Kennedy also worked as a policy representative for NARAL Pro-Choice America, where she developed expertise in health programs serving lower income women, including Medicaid and the Title X family planning program. ^[1]

Before that, Kennedy was a member of the policy and research department at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation. ^[1]