Lifestyle

Wisdom and Youthful Energy Combined: Tax Attorney Lance R. Drury

Published

2 years ago

June 22, 2024

Research done by The American Psychological Association indicates that the average person starts feeling old at the age of 47. This was the most cited age in a survey of 2,000 Americans over 40, with respondents also noting that they begin to worry about age-related bodily changes around the age of 50. Concerns about mental decline and memory loss are prevalent, with a significant percentage of participants expressing fears about their cognitive health deteriorating as they age. Interestingly, fewer people are concerned about losing their youthful looks compared to worries about mental sharpness and staying socially connected.

But at the young age of 70, Tax Attorney at Law Lance R. Drury embodies the belief that age is just a number — not a measure of one’s capabilities. With a career spanning several decades, the spunky lawyer continues to defy societal expectations, showcasing that one can maintain both wisdom and youthful energy well into their later years. Drury’s happy-go-lucky, quick-witted personality offers a refreshing perspective in a world where age often dictates one’s pursuits and achievements.

Lance R. Drury is the founder of the Law Office of Lance R. Drury, a firm renowned for its exceptional tax resolution services. With over 35 years of legal experience, his practice specializes in tax planning, litigation of tax disputes, and negotiation of settlements with tax authorities. Drury’s personalized approach to each case ensures that clients receive strategies tailored to their unique situations.

His offices are located in Ste. Genevieve and St. Louis in Missouri, Nashville in Tennessee, and most recently, San Antonio in Texas. Drury’s practice emphasizes understanding clients’ specific needs and navigating the complexities of tax law to provide clear, actionable solutions. Through his dedicated work, he built a longstanding reputation for his legal acumen and commitment to upholding the highest standards of the legal profession, ensuring that each client receives attentive and effective representation.

We sat down with Drury to discuss his perspective on age and how it influences his dynamic approach to life and work.

All In Your Head

Drury’s response to the question of retirement was profound.

“People often suggest I should retire,” he shared. “But staying active keeps my mind sharp and my spirit youthful.”

His days are filled with interactions that span generations, which he believes keep his mind young and engaged.

“Age is just a sequence of numbers that has no bearing on what you can achieve. The only limits are the ones you set for yourself,” Drury emphasized.

Maintaining Purpose and Connection

Drury highlighted the importance of maintaining a sense of purpose. While retirement for some means relaxation and leisure, for Drury, it’s about continual engagement and growth.

“You don’t retire from life; you move towards new opportunities,” Drury pointed out. “It’s essential to keep forging connections and pursuing goals that keep you connected to the world around you.”

He actively engages with people daily, from colleagues to younger individuals, enriching his social life and broadening his perspectives. This engagement, he noted, is key to feeling connected and vibrant.

The Psychological and Social Benefits of Staying Active

Staying engaged in work and social activities has profound effects on mental health. Drury observed that his professional engagements keep his mind sharp and give him a sense of purpose every day. This routine, he suggested, can benefit everyone, regardless of age. The social interactions that come with staying active help prevent the loneliness and isolation often associated with aging.

“Staying active is crucial for keeping your mind sharp and your spirit engaged,” Drury noted.

A Rebellious Stance on Aging

Drury’s approach is rebellious. Especially in the field of law, defying societal expectations that dictate slowing down with age is unexpected. He finds liberation in continuing his work and enjoying life on his terms. This rebellious stance is about acknowledging the aging process while embracing it with vigor and a clear sense of purpose.

“Rejecting the typical narrative of aging doesn’t mean denying the process of growing older. It means embracing it with enthusiasm and a resolve to live fully every day,” Drury passionately shared. “I encourage others to live joyfully and defiantly, irrespective of age.”

Drury’s narrative is a powerful reminder that age should not limit our dreams or capabilities. Whether it’s continuing a career, engaging with diverse social groups, or simply finding new reasons to enjoy each day, his life exemplifies the power of living without age boundaries. Drury’s advice encourages us to look beyond societal expectations and craft a life filled with engagement, purpose, and connection, no matter how many years we have lived.

In a world that often equates aging with decline, Lance R. Drury stands out as a beacon of enduring vitality and purpose, inspiring all of us to rethink what it means to grow older!

About The Law Office of Lance R. Drury

The Law Office of Lance R. Drury, founded in 2006, has been a leading legal practice in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri, San Antonio, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee specializing in tax law matters. With over 35 years of experience, Lance is a nationally-recognized tax resolution attorney providing innovative solutions to IRS tax dilemmas with a team that is dedicated to providing clients personalized and effective solutions for tax planning, dispute litigation, and tax resolutions. For more information, please visit https://www.lancedrurylaw.com/

Lifestyle

Kat Marie Alvarez: Where Innovation Meets Regulation

Published

10 hours ago

January 23, 2026

Michelle Langton

Regulation is often thought of as a limitation, yet in healthcare, it also serves as a foundation for building models that endure. For Kat Marie Alvarez, Founder and CEO of KATALYST & CO, the framework of rules established by agencies like CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid) and the OIG ( office of the Inspector General) create opportunities to design systems that are compliant, ethical, and transformative. Her approach demonstrates that regulation can be a platform for innovation when it is interpreted with both technical rigor and vision.

Kat’s 25-year career reflects this philosophy. A former nurse who advanced into executive leadership and strategy, she has led $2.7B+ P&L operations, advised on over $5B in healthcare transactions, and guided value based organizations including Innovacare, Cano Health, WellMed, Centene, and Humana through periods of exponential scaling. Her perspective combines clinical, financial, and regulatory experience, giving her a unique ability to design structures that support integrity and accountability while driving measurable outcomes.

Turning Statutes into Strategy

For Kat, regulation serves as a framework for building smarter and more ethical models. She interprets CMS guidance and OIG rules as levers for innovation, using them to advance integrity and accountability. With the CMS V28 risk adjustment model, Alvarez refined coding practices, strengthened clinical documentation, and structured risk frameworks that reward accuracy and elevate standards of care. In addressing RADV audits, she crafted strategies that protect stakeholders while keeping patient outcomes at the forefront. She aligns compliance, cost, and care in equal measure. Her current work as a contributor to the CMS IDea Challenge, an initiative focused on strengthening the foundation of trust in our system, further echoes her commitment to advancing regulations in ways that unlock innovation while safeguarding the integrity of care.

Her interpretive approach brings discipline and vision to every challenge. She engages stakeholders to redesign workflows that meet regulatory requirements and enhance the patient experience. Each policy becomes a mechanism to strengthen accountability and operational precision, shaping a system that is both compliant and humane.

Innovation Built Within Boundaries

At KATALYST & CO, this interpretive approach is carried into every project. Kat has integrated predictive analytics and AI-driven tools into care models, with safeguards that ensure interventions remain clinician-led and ethically sound. For example, AI flags in chronic disease management are connected to human-led actions that improve patient care. The result is a model that benefits from technology while preserving accountability and clinical integrity.

Staffing and infrastructure provide another example of her philosophy in action. By leveraging offshore BPO operations in Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe, KATALYST & CO extends capacity for health plans and providers. These expansions are carefully designed to meet data security, licensure, and jurisdictional requirements, ensuring that global reach is paired with local compliance. It is a system that balances scale with responsibility.

The Art of Influence Through Alignment

Kat often describes her role as translating complexity into clarity. Whether she is working with payers, providers, or investors, she builds consensus by grounding ambitious strategies in the language of statute. Value-based care models, utilization management programs, and clinical frameworks are designed to prove compliant ROI for stakeholders while maintaining patient focus.

Her approach begins with people. In integrations, partnerships, and platform builds, she respects legacy strengths, listens to frontline voices, and creates systems that are not only efficient but also trusted. This ensures that compliance does not feel like restriction, but like a structure that supports innovation and adoption.

Redefining the Future of Compliance and Care

KATALYST & CO is scaling with $10M in initial funding, expanded international operations, and a growing advisory portfolio. Under Kat’s leadership, the firm is showing how regulation can be a foundation for both innovation and durability. She demonstrates that lasting progress in healthcare is achieved by leaders who know how to design systems that are bold, ethical, and deeply human.

By approaching regulation as a guide rather than a limitation, Kat Alvarez is building models that prove compliance and innovation can move forward together. Her formula ensures that the future of healthcare is shaped not only by ambition, but also by trust and responsibility.