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Cathy Aguilar
Cathy
has almost 30 years of experience in the workers’ compensation field and
has held every position at a Third Party Administrator from file clerk
to Vice President of claims for a national TPA. Additionally she has
worked on the employer’s side and managed claims for Costco, the San
Diego County Schools JPA, the San Francisco USD and consulted for
several employers. She has taught classes and spoken at numerous
conferences and seminars for the industry and was an active member of
several industry organizations and associations, including RIMS, PARMA
and the California Coalition for Workers’ Compensation, which was a
driving force in the California workers’ compensation reform of 2004.In
2007 she was appointed as a Commissioner to the Commission on Health
Safety and Workers’ Compensation by Governor Schwarzenegger and
continues to serve on that Commission to date. She is currently the
Claims Manager for the California Self Insured Security fund.
Christopher Archer
Chris Archer is
the founding member of Archer, Lassa and McHugh, LLC.
He graduated from Washington University and from St. Louis
University School of Law in 1990.
He has served as in house staff attorney for Wausau Insurance
Company as well as staff counsel for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.
He opened his own defense firm in January of 1998 providing legal
representation as well as education for employers, third party
administrators, as well as insurers in the area of workers’
compensation.
He is a
contributing editor/author of the Missouri Bar's lawyer desk reference
book on Missouri workers' compensation, and author of the Missouri Bar's
monthly “Courts and CLE Bulletin” published statewide. He has been a
past speaker at the Missouri Bar's advanced workers’ compensation
seminar, for the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and for the
Missouri Self-Insured Association. He was an advising attorney for
business lobbying groups in the drafting and editing of Senate Bill 1
and 130, signed into law by Governor Blunt in March, 2005.
Earlene Doyle, RN, CCM, LNCC, DABFN, CLCP, MSCC,
CMSP
Earlene Doyle is the President and CEO of Medical Management Concepts,
Inc.
Her professional career
includes 20 years of managing and consulting on complex disability
claims for self insured employers, union groups, excess insurance
carriers, primary insurance carriers, third party administrators, state
and federal government agencies, and attorney clients nationwide in the
Group Benefits, Property and Casualty, Liability, and Managed Care
arenas. With her in-depth
knowledge and experience, Earlene is a leader in complex disability
claims resolution.
Her
professional experience includes medical-surgical nursing, HMO/PPO
Utilization Review, Catastrophic Case Management, Legal Nurse
Consulting, Life Care Planning, Medicare Set-Aside Allocations, Medicare
Secondary Payer compliance, and Workers’ Compensation PPO development
and management.
Earlene has
also served as an instructor and developed educational training
curriculums for Medipro Seminars/University of Florida on the topics of
Life Care Planning and Medicare Set-Aside Allocations.
She has lectured and developed case management and utilization
review training programs for self insured employers, union groups and
third party administrators.
Earlene is a Registered Nurse, and maintains certifications and
credentials of Certified Case Manager, Legal Nurse Consultant Certified,
Diplomat of the American Board of Forensic Nursing, Certified Life Care
Planner, Medicare Set A-side Certified Consultant, Certified Medicare
Set A-side Professional and she is currently pursuing a Master of Arts
degree in Strategic Communication and Leadership.
Tom Files, ACA,
CMSP
Tom Files is the Vice President of myMatrixx, a pharmacy services
company specializing in Workers' Compensation, Auto Insurance, and Pain
Management. He developed and managed the prescription program for
un/under-insured individuals. Mr. Files also administers the
implementation of Official Disability Guidelines in Workers’
Compensation pharmacy benefits management programs. He is an adjunct
professor for University of Florida’s Medicare Set-Aside Certification
Program. Mr. Files is a Certified Case Manager. He has been a conference
speaker at Savannah Annual Workers’ Comp Update, Mid-Georgia Claims
Association, Orlando Claims Association, Southern Association of
Workers’ Compensation Administrators and Mid-South Workers’ Compensation
Association.
Mr. Files is a
member of NAMSAP (Ethics Committee), Florida Association of
Self-Insured, Louisiana Association of Self-Insured Employers, and The
Texans.
Wayne
Fontana, CWCP, CMSP
Wayne J. Fontana, CWCP, has served as legal consultant to Governors
Treen, Roemer and Foster; and, for two decades, has drafted numerous
legislative bills, testified before the Louisiana legislature on behalf
of business interests and the aforementioned governors, and lobbied and
helped pass all major workers’ compensation reforms since 1983.
He has served on the Advisory Council for the Office of Workers’
Compensation and is a member of the LASIE Advisory Council.
He is also very involved with the State Chamber, the Louisiana
Association of Business and Industry, serving on its Board of Directors
and Executive Committee and chairing numerous committees, councils and
task forces devoted to workers’ compensation and tort reform.
Aaron Frederickson, MSCC
Aaron P. Frederickson is an attorney with the Minneapolis, MN law firm
of Arthur, Chapman, Kettering, Smetak & Pikala, P.A., which also maintains an
office in Hudson, WI. He is licensed to practice law in Minnesota,
Wisconsin, and the U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota. Aaron practices
primarily in the area of workers’ compensation law, and also represents indigent
clients through the Volunteer Lawyers Network on criminal expungement matters.
Since 2005, Aaron has also focused his practice by counseling a diverse group of
clients on Medicare Secondary Payer compliance issues. In addition to his
Medicare practice, he has spoken at numerous seminars and presentations
nationwide on these topics. Aaron is a charter member of the National
Alliance of Medicare Set-Aside Professionals (NAMSAP) and currently serves as
chair of the Legislative and Law Committee. In his spare time Aaron brings his
breadth of knowledge and passion to the soccer pitch as an avid player and
coach, and currently holds numerous credentials through the USSF and NSCAA.
Bob Gisclair, MS, CRC, LRC, LPC, CCM, CDMS, CLCP, MSCC, CMSP
Bob Gisclair
has over 30
years experience in the vocational rehabilitation field.
He is currently self-employed with offices in Shreveport,
Lafayette, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge, LA.
His staff of approximately 20 employees include:
vocational rehabilitation counselors, medical case management
nurses, and administrative personnel. Mr. Gisclair obtained his Master’s
Degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of
Southwestern Louisiana.
His
Bachelor’s Degree is in Psychology and was obtained from Nicholls State
University. Mr. Gisclair is licensed as a Certified Rehabilitation
Counselor, Certified Disability Management Specialist, Certified Case
Manager, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Professional Counselor,
Medicare Set-Aside Consultant-Certified and Certified Life Care Planner.
Mr. Gisclair is a member of the National Rehabilitation
Association, National Rehabilitation Counselor’s Association, Louisiana
Rehabilitation Association, and Louisiana Rehabilitation Counselor’s
Association.
He is a former
member of the Licensed Professional Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors
Board of Examiners.
He was
elected Chairman of the Board in December of 1999. He is also a past
board member of the Louisiana Association of Rehabilitation Providers in
the Private Sector.
Greg Gitter, CMSP
Greg Gitter is the President of Gitter & Associates, Inc., a firm
specializing
in negotiating resolution of High-Exposure Workers’ Compensation claims
for excess carriers, employers, insurance companies and any other
parties involved in Workers’ Compensation claims.
Greg has been involved in the Workers’ Compensation arena for 16 years
in various capacities including claims adjusting, investigations and
management of claims staff. He has extensive experience working
within the California Workers’ Compensation system as well as intimate
knowledge of Jones Act and U.S. Longshore & Harbor law. Over the
years, Greg directed his focus on the impact of Long Term, High
Exposure, Complex and Catastrophic Workers’ Compensation claims and he
developed a specialized skill set and specific strategies to identify
and resolve these claims to the mutual benefit of all parties involved.
Jennifer Jordan
Jennifer Jordan is general
counsel of MEDVAL, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in Medicare
Secondary Payer (MSP) compliance issues in insurance settlements. She
possesses extensive knowledge relative to Medicare set-aside allocation
recommendation and administration, conditional payment recovery and
negotiation, MMSEA reporting requirements, and the underlying statutory,
regulatory and administrative policies that serve as the basis of the
MSP programs administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services. Jennifer has been recognized as an expert of MSP issues by the
US Department of Justice, is a frequent presenter of continuing
education programs nationwide, and has been an invited author for
insurance industry publications nationwide, inclusive of serving as the
Editor-in-Chief of The Complete Guide to Medicare Secondary Payer
Compliance published by LexisNexis. Jennifer received a 2010 Workers'
Compensation Notable Person Award from LexisNexis, recognizing her as a
visionary for her efforts in attempting to educate the industry in order
to overcome the challenges the MSP and CMS have created in insurance
settlements. Jennifer possess an economics degree from the Virginia
Polytechnic Institute & State University, and a JD and an MBA from the
University of Baltimore, where she was both on Law Review and
Editor-in-Chief of the Intellectual Property Law Journal. Additionally,
she maintains a life insurance license for structured settlement
purposes and is certified by the International Commission on Health Care
Certification as a Medicare Set-Aside Certified Consultant and by LASIE
as a Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional.
John P. Kane, AIC, MSCC
John
Kane serves as the Medicare Program Director for the Liberty Mutual
Group.
As a twenty year
employee with Liberty Mutual John has served in a variety of claim
positions including Liability and Workers’ Compensation including
Regional Claims Manager for Integrated Disability Management and Loss
Portfolio Risk Manager.
He
has been actively engaged in MSP compliance over the last ten years. He
developed Liberty Mutual’s Centralized MSA Department and is responsible
for Vendor Management, Quality Assurance, MSP Compliance and a liaison
to Public Affairs to advocate for CMS reform.
He is active member of the Property Casualty Insurer Medicare
Task Force Committee and was instrumental in seeking Liberty Mutual
contribution funds to support the Medicare Advocacy Recovery Coalition
(MARC).
He is also a member
of the National Alliance of Medicare Set Aside Professionals. Prior to
Liberty Mutual, John worked in the financial sector as a financial
planner with a degree in Business Management.
He has an Associate in Claims (AIC), Medicare Set-Aside
Consultant Certified (MSCC) designation and is in the process of
pursuing his Certified MSP Professional (CMSP) designation.
James B. Kennedy
James B. Kennedy is a member of Evans & Dixon, L.L.C. where he has
practiced workers’ compensation law exclusively for 41 years in the
firm’s St. Louis office. Mr. Kennedy obtained his undergraduate
and law degrees from the University of Missouri- Columbia and has been
licensed in Missouri since 1969 and Illinois since 1970. He has
tried hundreds of workers’ compensation cases and has handled appeals at
all levels of the appellate process. Over the course of his
practice, Mr. Kennedy has written and spoken extensively on workers’
compensation subjects. Most recently the focus of his topics has often
been Social Security disability and Medicare compliance. He has
written and spoken on these topics for the Workers’ Compensation
Committee of the American Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association
and for numerous segments of the claims industry. Some of his more
recent articles or presentations include: “The Mandatory Insurer
Reporting Act - Medicare Opens a Second Front”,
ABA/TIPS/WC Committee
Newsletter, Winter 2009; “Social Security Disability and Medicare
Compliance”, the Missouri Bar Association’s Annual Workers’
Compensation Institute, 2009; “Workers’ Compensation Reform In
Missouri – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly”,
Claims Magazine,
March 2011 and “Rivers Run Through Us – the Interface Between
Maritime and Workers’ Compensation Law”, May, 2010.
Jeff Knipper, MSCC, CMSP
Jeff Knipper is the Director of Medicare Services for Contact Claims
Services Incorporated. Mr. Knipper has spent 20 years in
the workers’ compensation claims business focusing on Longshore/NAF
claims. He has experience working with all of the regional offices
of the U. S. Department of Labor, Longshore Division to resolve
claims. He has provided expert testimony before Administrative Law
Judges at formal hearings. His current responsibilities include Medicare
Set-Aside development, CMS submissions, and MMSEA Section 111 reporting
compliance. He received a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the
University of South Alabama. Mr. Knipper also completed the MSA
Pre-Certification Program at the University of Florida and currently
holds the Medicare Set Aside Consultant Certified credential.
Roger Larue, JD, MBA
Roger Larue is the co-owner and Medicare
Compliance Manager of Specialty Metrics, LLC.
SML’s mission is
to provide personal and professional service that allows all parties to
a liability or workers’
compensation settlement or judgment involving the release of
future medical expenses the peace of mind knowing that the funds
allocated to protect Medicare’s
interest will be used in a judicious manner and in compliance with CMS’
applicable laws, rules and regulations. Over his 38-year law practice,
Mr. Larue represented both defendants and plaintiffs in civil litigation
practice matters. Mr. Larue
became involved with the field of alternative dispute resolution as a
mediator in 1989 and in 1991 he became an owner of Mediation Arbitration
Professional Systems, Inc. (MAPS), one of the largest ADR providers in
North America. He has successfully mediated several thousand cases many
of which involved the application of the Medicare Secondary Payer act.
In his mediation experience, Mr. Larue realized that the vast majority
of the participants had little knowledge regarding the legal
ramifications of the Medicare Secondary Payer Act. Since 2003 he has
concentrated his professional time on studying, writing and speaking on
issues surrounding the Act. Mr. Larue has presented numerous seminars
to lawyers and adjusters on the impact of the Medicare Secondary Payer
Act and Medicare Set Asides in non-workers’
compensation and similar
cases. He co-authored
“Medicaid,
ERISA and Other Medical Liens Against Personal Injury Recoveries,”
which was published in the Louisiana Bar Journal which included and
extensive discussion of the 2003 Medicare amendments. Mr. Larue earned
degrees in physics and in law from Loyola University of the South, and
an MBA from Tulane University. Mr. Larue is an adjunct professor at
Tulane University Law School on negotiation and mediation advocacy
skills.
Frank Lipshultz
Admitted to the Maryland State Bar in 1972 and the District of Columbia
Bar in 1977, Frank Lipshultz began practicing law following his
graduation from the University Of Baltimore School Of Law in 1972.
He received his B.A. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore
County in 1970.
Mr. Lipshultz
gained his experience starting with the law firm of Friedman & Lipshultz
in 1971 and became a principal in the law firm of Lipshultz and Hone in
1972. In January 2004 he joined Jeffrey R. Miller and now practices in
the law firm of Lipshultz and Miller P.A. Mr. Lipshultz is a member of
the American Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association, and
The District of Columbia Bar Association. Mr. Lipshultz is a member of
the Maryland Association of Defense Trial Counsel, as well as the
Defense Research Institute, he has published an article for DRI Workers
Compensation Newsletter on Medicare Set Aside “A Necessary Component of
Your Workers’ Compensation Settlements”. He also published “Settlements
of Workers’ Compensation Cases with Medicare”
for the Trial Reporter Spring 2005. Mr. Lipshultz has also
lectured for MICPEL in their presentation of Hot Tips in Workers
Compensation. He has lectured at Maryland State Bar Association and
Maryland Workers Compensation Educational Association and the Maryland
Trial Lawyers Association on the aspect of Medicare Secondary Payer and
Medicare Set Aside Trusts. He has served as a panel member for ABA
Teleconference Medicare Liens in Workers' Compensation Cases A Minefield
for the Defense and Plaintiff's Bar September 17, 2002. In January 2010
he, along with Commissioners Karl Aumann and Maureen Quinn presented a
seminar to the Maryland State Bar Association on How to Get Your
Settlements Approved
under the
new Comar Regulations.He has also lectured for Lorman Educational
Service Seminars. He is served an unprecedented second term as Chair of
the Maryland State Bar Association’s Negligence Insurance and Worker’s
Compensation Section in 2009. In 2011 he will be serving as the vice
chair of the Committee. He is also on the Board of the Maryland Workers
Compensation Educational Association. Having gained admittance to all
State and Federal Trial and Appellate Courts in Maryland and the
District of Columbia, as well as the Court of Appeals for the 4th
Circuit, Mr. Lipshultz is actively engaged in the preparation and trial
of
workers compensation and
casualty claims at the Commission and Circuit Court level as well as
appeals. He handles all aspects of workers' compensation claims.
Sarah Malerstein
Sarah
Malerstein is an Associate Attorney at the law firm of DuRard, McKenna
and Borg in San Mateo. In 1982, Sarah received her BA degree in
International Relations from Mills College in Oakland, California.
She received J.D. from Santa Clara University in 1986. Sarah has
represented Applicant's in the Workers Compensation Arena for 15
years. Sarah has practical experience in negotiating Workers
Compensation settlements with in the restrictions imposed by Medicare
Set Asides. Prior to working as an Applicant's attorney, Sarah practiced
law in general civil litigation and Insurance defense litigation.
Danielle Marone
Danielle E. Marone, Esquire is an associate attorney at Schmidt, Dailey
& O’Neill, L.L.C.
Her
practice areas include defending clients in commercial liability,
employment discrimination, and workers’ compensation claims, with a
sub-specialty in Medicare set-asides.
She was formerly a Health Insurance Specialist with the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Government Task Leader
for the Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-aside Arrangement (WCMSA)
project. She was instrumental in drafting CMS’ policy memorandum
regarding the inclusion of prescription drug expenses in WCMSAs.
She was also responsible for monitoring and assisting CMS’
Workers’ Compensation Review Contractor in implementing CMS’ WCMSA
operating rules.
She
functioned as a policy expert regarding the WCMSA initiative for CMS’ 10
Regional Offices, Medicare beneficiaries, claimants, insurers, and
attorneys.
Danielle obtained
her B.A. at Villanova University and her J.D. at Case Western University
School of Law.
She was
admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1999 and the District of Columbia Bar in
2006.
She is a member of the
Maryland and District of Columbia Bars, and the Maryland Defense
Counsel.
Tom Matson
Tom
Matson is the Regional Account Manager at Medivest.
Medivest has been the leading provider of professionally
administered Medicare Set Aside Accounts and Medical Custodial Accounts,
as well as Medicare Allocation Reports or MSAs for 15 years.
Tom has been working in the insurance industry for over a decade,
and has focused his attention on how recent developments with Medicare
will affect the settlement community.
He holds a BS in Public Relations from the University of Florida
and is a licensed claims adjuster in states throughout the US.
Christine McPherson Melancon, RN, CCM, MSCC, CMSP, CNLCP
Christine M. Melancon is the Vice President of operations for Ez-MSA, a
company specializing in Medicare Set-Asides as well as other products
which assist clients with Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) compliance.
Christine is a proud graduate of Charity Hospital School of Nursing in
New Orleans, La., and is a registered nurse who holds certifications as
a case manager (CCM), as well as a Medicare Set Aside Consultant
Certified (MSCC), and was among the first in group of those who obtained
the Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional (CMSP) designation.
In addition, Christine has earned her designation as a Certified Nurse
Life Care Planner (CNLCP). Christine is a member of NAMSAP (Annual
Meeting Sub-Committee), the American Association of Nurse Life Care
Planners, and the Louisiana Association of Self Insured Employers
(LASIE). Christine is an MSCC certified instructor through the
International Commission for Health Care Certification and has served as
a mentor to a multitude of individuals new to MSP compliance issues,
including allocators, brokers, adjusters, and attorneys.
Fran Provenzano, RN BSN CDMS CCM QRP CLCP MSCC,
CMSP
As President and CEO of MSA Specialists, Fran has been on the cutting
edge of the Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance and was the second
professional in the Nation to receive MSCC certification.
MSA Specialists is a national
service provider of MSA Compliance for claims from New England to
Hawaii. She serves as the lead Instructor to the University of Florida
for the purpose of providing educational seminars around the nation.
These seminars are to educate and train prospective MSA practitioners.
Fran has held these seminars (under the UF’s direction) in several
states and in an online format. These classes are preparation for
national certification of new MSA practitioners. Through her involvement
with the University of Florida and her leadership role in NAMSAP, Fran
is a nationally recognized authority on MSAs, and a highly sought after
speaker on the subject. She has presented at National nursing
conferences, on a variety of subjects, since the mid-80’s. In addition,
Fran has authored the MSA section of the Legal Nurse Consultant Textbook
and has provided online training for NAMSAP (National Alliance of
Medicare Set-Aside Professionals). Fran has served as Vice-President and
currently remains a board member of NAMSAP. Fran received her Bachelor
of Science in Nursing from the University of Tampa and holds credentials
and certifications in the following areas; Certified Disability
Management Specialist; Certified Case Manager, Qualified Rehabilitation
Provider, Certified Life Care Planner, Medicare Set-Aside Consultant
Certified, Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional.
Leslie Schumacher, RN, CRRN, CCM, LNCC, CLCP, MSCC, CMSP, CNLCP
For over 10 years, Leslie has been
involved in Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance. Leslie is a Registered
Nurse who actively holds Certified Life Care Planner and Certified Nurse
Life Care Planner as well as Medicare Set Aside Consultant Certified and
Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional credentials. A graduate
of Drexel University, Leslie also holds the following additional
certifications: Certified Case Manager, Certified Rehabilitation
Registered Nurse, Legal Nurse Consultant Certified, Medicare Secondary
Payer Professional and Certified Nurse Life Care Planner. Leslie
maintains professional affiliations with the National Alliance of
Medicare Set Aside Professionals (NAMSAP), American Association of Legal
Nurse Consultants (AALNC), International Association of Life Care
Planners (IALCP) and International Association of Rehabilitation
Professionals (IARP). Leslie has been elected as Board Member of both
IARP and the IALCP; she is former chairperson of the Education Committee
and current Board Member of NAMSAP as well as former ICHCC
(International Commission for Health Care Certification) Commissioner of
Medicare Set Aside Allocations. She has also participated as an
instructor of Medicare Set Aside education with the University of
Florida. Leslie is currently President of PlanPoint, a national provider
of Medicare Set Aside Allocations as well as all other aspects of
Medicare Secondary Payer compliance. Leslie.s
unique and engaging speaking style coupled with her extensive experience
in nursing, Life Care Planning and Medicare
Secondary Payer compliance has made her a featured speaker at industry
conferences nationwide.
Doug
Shaw
Doug Shaw is the Chief Operating Officer of Medivest Benefit Advisors,
Inc. and Medivest Allocation Services, Inc. (collectively know as
Medivest). He has written and lectured frequently across the country
about issues related to Medicare Set-Asides.
He is currently a board member
and Secretary of the National Association of Medicare Set-Aside
Professionals. Doug has served as President, CFO and controller for
companies ranging from a large Fortune 500 company to an entrepreneurial
growth company. He began his
career in the international accounting firm of Price Waterhouse
Coopers. He received his
BS in Accounting from Florida State University
and Masters in Accountancy (emphasis in tax) from Virginia Tech.
He is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified
Management Accountant and Certified Medicare Secondary Payer
Professional. Medivest is a national leader in the professional
administration of custodial accounts used in settlement of liability and
workers’ compensation cases and in providing Medicare Set-Aside (MSA)
allocations that accurately project the claimant’s future medical needs.
Jessica C. Smythe
Jessica C. Smythe is Legal Counsel and National Account Executive for
Crowe Paradis Services Corporation.
Prior to joining Crowe Paradis, Jessica had close to thirteen
years experience as a workers’ compensation and liability defense
attorney. Her clients included large national and international
employers, self insured corporations, third party administrators and
insurance carriers. In the course of the representation of her clients,
Jessica faced the impact of Medicare compliance on claims handling and
litigation on a day to day basis and uses this practical knowledge in
her current Medicare compliance training. Jessica is a national speaker
on Medicare compliance issues, including Medicare set asides, the
negotiation and settlement of conditional payments and MMSEA reporting
requirements.
Jessica also
provides Medicare compliance training to the world’s largest insurance
carrier and the nation’s largest carriers, third party administrators,
self-insureds and state fund and guaranty associations. She also
provides Medicare compliance instruction for the nation’s leading law
firms. Jessica is a certified instructor for the CEU Institute and is a
frequent lecturer at national conferences and on behalf of private and
public entities including The Rand Corporation, the City/County of San
Francisco, RIMS (Risk and Insurance Management Society), the California
Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorneys’ Association (CWCDAA), the North
Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, the Nevada Self Insured
Association, the Mississippi Association for Self Insureds, Council on
Litigation Management (CLM), Perrin Conferences and HB Litigation
Conferences. Jessica was also a 2010 faculty member on the advanced
Medicare Set Aside certification training program offered through the
University of Florida.
She
was also a featured panel speaker for the NSSTA (National Structured
Settlement Trade Association) 25th Annual Conference held
last year in Washington, D.C. Jessica is a graduate of Meredith College, with a Bachelor of Arts
degree, magna cum laude. She graduated from the Norman Adrian Wiggins
School of Law, Campbell University and was a finalist in the National
Moot Court Competition where she was awarded Best Oralist.
She was also a member of the National Trial team and was a
quarterfinalist in the National Trial Competition.
Jessica is an inductee to the
Order of the Barristers and is a member of the North Carolina Bar
Association, the Wake County Bar Association, the North Carolina
Association of Defense Attorneys, the Trucking Industry Defense
Association (TIDA), the Council on Litigation Management and the
National Association of Medicare Set Aside Professionals (NAMSAP).
Sally Stalcup,
MSP Regional Coordinator, CMS
Sally Stalcup began her Medicare career with the Oklahoma Part B
Medicare contractor in 1974. Over the years she managed a variety of
Part B Medicare contractor departments such a Beneficiary and Provider
Inquiries, Congressional Inquiries, Internal/External Outreach and
Education, Electronic Medicare Claim Submission, Provider Enrollment,
Provider Reimbursement and Program Integrity (Fraud and Abuse). She
spend one year in the private Managed Care arena before moving to The
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in 1999 where she now serves as
the Region VI Coordinator for the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) Program.
Michael Sudekum
Michael Sudekum is an attorney
with the law firm of Mandel & Mandel, LLP.
He graduated from the University of
Missouri – Columbia School of Law (J.D.) and Saint Louis University
(B.A., cum laude).
Mike participates in a number of bar
activities, including the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (Board
of Governors, 2009 – present, Co- Chair, MATA-Red Cross Volunteer
Lawyers Response Team, 2010 - present), the American Association for
Justice, the Young Lawyer Council of the Missouri Bar (2007-2009; YLS
Chairperson’s Award
-2009 and Chair - Special Needs Task Force)
and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis.
In
2009, he was appointed to the Regional Disciplinary Committee of the
Missouri Bar by the Missouri Supreme Court.
In 2009 and 2010, Mike was also selected as
a Rising Star by the Missouri
and Kansas SuperLawyers in Personal Injury – Plaintiffs category. Mike
is also a member of the Discovery SubCommittee of the Plaintiff’s
Steering Committee In Re: Yasmin
and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability
Litigation (MDL 2100) in the U.S. District Court of the Southern
District of Illinois. Outside of the office, Michael is an active member
of the Chaminade College Preparatory Alumni Board (President, 2010 –
current) and the St. Peter’s of Kirkwood Athletic Association. He enjoys
spending his free time playing racquet sports, fly fishing, bird
hunting, hiking and skiing.
Patrick Venditti
Thirty years of experience working with Fortune 1000 companies to reduce
their workers’ compensation exposures and costs. He currently serves as
the Director of BJC HealthCare’s Corporate Health Services Division
where he oversees their self-insured, self-administered Workers’
Compensation Program for their 27,000+ employees and numerous other
areas that target occupational health care services and case management
to area employers. He also has served as the President of the Board of
the Missouri Self Insurers Association since 2006. In 2009, BJC
HealthCare was named winner of Risk & Insurance’s Theodore Roosevelt
Award for Workers’ Compensation and Disability Management. He has
presented numerous times on the State and National level and is
considered one of the country’s leading experts in Workers’ Compensation
Cost Containment and medical management Issues.
Michael
E. Westcott,
CMSP
Michael, an Associate, manages the Ringler Associates Wausau, Wisconsin
office. His background includes over 20 years of structured settlement
experience, including resolution of claims involving personal injuries,
Medicare Set Asides, workers’ compensation, long shore and harbor
workers, common carrier and trucking, medical malpractice, religious
organizations, and reinsurance, as well an array of unique claim
resolutions. He is certified in the use of structured settlements in the
structured sale of real estate, businesses, divorce, non-wage employment
issues, independent contractors and other taxable exchanges. He has held
executive management positions with several national settlement annuity
firms, and he served as National Vice President – Technical Markets for
AON Brokers at world headquarters in Chicago. Michael is a nationally
recognized industry speaker on Medicare, unique niche claim resolution,
public lien issues and claims management. He holds insurance licenses in
multiple states, and he is a member of the National Structured
Settlements Trade Association (NSSTA). Other memberships include the
Long Shore and Harbor Workers’ Claims Association, the Trucking Industry
Defense Association, a Charter Member of the National Alliance of
Medicare Set Aside Professionals (NAMSAP), where he served on the Board
of Directors in 2006. Michael received his Bachelor of Arts degree from
the University of Wisconsin.
Russell S. WhittleRussell S. Whittle is Vice president of MSP Compliance for Gould &
Lamb, LLC based in
Bradenton,
Florida.
Gould & Lamb, LLC is widely considered the national leader in
Medicare Secondary Payer compliance, Mandatory Insurer Reporting,
Medicare set aside allocations and Life Care Planning. In his twenty
plus years of practice prior to joining Gould & Lamb, LLC, Mr.
Whittle practiced primarily in the area of insurance defense,
representing the interests of large insurers and employers in both
workers’ compensation and general liability matters. He also
developed and supervised the Medicare set aside and Medicare
Secondary Payer Compliance department of a busy
South Florida law firm. Mr. Whittle has litigated both
first and third party accident and workers’ compensation claims in
courtrooms throughout
Florida and
also acted as a managing partner for the
Fort Myers,
Florida
office of a large insurance defense firm. In 1995 he earned Board
Certification from The Florida Bar as a Specialist in Workers’
Compensation Law. He also earned certification as a Medicare
Set-Aside Consultant from the International Commission on Health
Care Certification. His varied experience has included real estate,
title insurance, personal injury, and property damage cases. Mr.
Whittle graduated from
Skidmore
College in
Saratoga Springs,
New York
in 1986. He earned his J.D. from the
University
Of
Miami School Of Law in
Coral Gables,
Florida
in 1989. He is a member of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the
Florida Bar, the Manatee County Bar Association, the National
Alliance of Medicare Set Aside Professionals, Inc.
He routinely meets with the
United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate
as a member of the Steering Committee of the Medicare Advocacy
Recovery Coalition to advocate for Medicare legislation and
regulation. Mr. Whittle lectures extensively on Medicare Set
Aside issues including Medicare Secondary Payer legislation and
compliance, discovery, ethics, Liability and Workers’ Compensation
law, while remaining active in local bar associations and community
activities.
Mike Williams
Mr.
Williams has achieved Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating for legal
ability and professional ethics as reflected by the opinions of his
peers and members of the judiciary. Mr. Williams has successfully
defended clients in maritime, international, commercial and civil
litigation matters for over 20 years and has also achieved multi-million
dollar recoveries in cases involving maritime liens and insurance
coverage. He obtained dismissal or favorable settlements for clients in
multi-million dollar claims arising from: product liability for multiple
deaths; energy/oilfield property damage and revenue loss; wrongful death
from pipeline explosions; and land-based, maritime and offshore personal
injuries, and dismissal of a drilling company’s $45 million property
damage and lost profits claim against a shipyard client on the first day
of trial. He developed the legal argument for an international air
carrier client, affirmed by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in a
case of first impression, precluding claims against the carrier arising
under state law. He is licensed to practice in all courts in Texas and
admitted to the United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern,
Northern and Western Districts of Texas, the United States Court of
Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. Mr.
Williams is a Member of the Defense Research Institute, the Texas
Association of Defense Counsel, the Maritime Law Association of the
United States, The Propeller Club of the United States and is an
arbitrator with the Houston Maritime Arbitrators Association. He has
spoken at numerous seminars presented by the National Business
Institute, Lorman Education Systems and several corporations and
insurance companies.
Janet Zamecki
Janet Zamecki is an Associate Attorney at the law firm of Laughlin,
Falbo, Levy & Moresi. She received her BA degree from Southwestern
University in Georgetown, Texas in 1992 and her JD from University of
San Francisco in 2004. Janet's current practice focuses on the
defense side of California State Workers' Compensation cases and
including state asbestos claims with cross-over jurisdiction into
federal Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act. Her clients
range from insurance carriers, third-party administrators to
self-insured entities and lawfully uninsured employers. In resolving
workers' compensation cases, Janet frequently works with Medicare Set
Asides as well as resolving claims for reimbursement by MSPRC for
Medicare conditional payments. Prior to law school, Janet worked in the technical
publications field in San Francisco, London, UK, and Portland, OR,
specializing in localization and translation for the high-tech industry.
She participated in seminars on localization and single-source
translation. Janet's graduate and undergraduate degrees (BA and
MFA) are in fine art with an emphasis on photography. |