Denise Leard
Shareholder/AttoneyBrown & FortunatoDenise Leard draws from her 30 plus years of diverse legal experience to contribute to the Healthcare Group at Brown & Fortunato. Denise advises clients on compliance with federal and state laws that impact the healthcare industry in all areas of health law. One of Denise’s favorite roles is assisting the firm’s healthcare clients with compliance issues and providing preventative education. She is frequently involved in the appeal of Medicare overpayment demands or denial requests where she plays a key role in guiding clients through the administrative appeals process. Denise has successfully defended extrapolated audits at the redetermination and reconsideration levels, avoiding the need to continue to an administrative law judge level. She enjoys assisting her clients with the resolution of complex regulatory issues of all types, including fraud and abuse analysis, appeals, enrollment, accreditation and general compliance, just to name a few.
Denise is a frequent speaker at professional and trade conferences including state, regional, and national conferences on many topics including audits, appeals, and general healthcare issues affecting the firm’s clients. Denise has presented programs to attorneys and compliance officers at the Healthcare Compliance Association’s Compliance Institute. In addition, she has authored numerous articles covering a variety of health law topics and can be found in publications such as Homecare Magazine, HME News, and Compliance Today. She is on the Board of Commissioners for the Accreditation Commission for Healthcare where she holds the position of Immediate Past Chair. She is also part of the National Supplier Clearinghouse Advisory Committee where she advocates on behalf of suppliers with the National Provider Enrollment contractors.
AU05: Provider Enrollment Success…Does Your HME Make the Cut?
Whether you are new to the DMEPOS landscape, are planning to expand operations, or are even an existing supplier, keeping your provider enrollment fil…Whether you are new to the DMEPOS landscape, are planning to expand operations, or are even an existing supplier, keeping your provider enrollment file accurate and current is key to successful operations. An application denial can delay business ope…Whether you are new to the DMEPOS landscape, are planning to expand operations, or are even an existing supplier, keeping your provider enrollment file accurate and current is key to successful operations. An application denial can delay business operations while a PTAN revocation can completely stall cash flow. And, as the next round of competitive bidding approaches, suppliers that do not have proper licensure and reporting in PECOS may find themselves inable to meet program qualifications, leaving them disqualified to submit and participate in the program. The CMS considers provider enrollment a method to control fraud and abuse, which means it is even more critical to understand the information being reported…or not. In this session, resident provider enrollment experts Kelly Grahovac, Denise Leard, Lisa Wells, and Tim Safley will explain how to complete and report changes on your enrollment file to ensure interruptions to operations and cash flow don’t affect your HME business. Getting your business accredited is only step one. Learn how you can prepare for your CMS site inspection and pass with flying colors! Ensure your organization meets competitive bidding program qualifications. Time will also be spent reviewing common denial and revocation reasons.Show MoreClick the title to see all details
LEG01: One Big Beautiful Bill: Impact on Medicaid Programs and DME Suppliers
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill (“Bill”). The 870-page bill covers almost ever component of the economy an…On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill (“Bill”). The 870-page bill covers almost ever component of the economy and extends many of the taxpayer-friendly provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act , passed in Presiden…On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill (“Bill”). The 870-page bill covers almost ever component of the economy and extends many of the taxpayer-friendly provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act , passed in President Trump’s first term. The Bill significantly alters Medicaid by, among other provisions, reducing federal Medicaid spending by an estimated $911 billion over 10 years, largely through coverage losses. A result is a projected additional 11.8 million Americans becoming uninsured by 2034. The Bill includes provisions that will likely make it more difficult to enroll and maintain Medicaid coverage. Additionally, the Bill makes it more difficult for states to raise Medicaid funds through provider taxes. The anticipated cuts in Medicaid funding will (i) directly affect DME suppliers that serve Medicaid patients and (ii) indirectly affect all DME suppliers. This program will (i) summarize the elements of the Bill and (ii) then pivot to discussing the provisions of the Bill that impact state Medicaid programs. The program will focus on how the Bill will (i) directly impact DME suppliers that serve Medicaid patients and (ii) indirectly impact all DME suppliers. Lastly, the program will discuss steps that DME suppliers can take to operate within the confines of the Bill. Learning Objectives: Understand the provisions of the Bill that apply to state Medicaid programs. Recognize how the Bill will impact state Medicaid programs and DME suppliers. Learn the steps DME suppliers can take to prepare for cuts in Medicaid spending.Show MoreClick the title to see all details
