Baker Donelson has added regulatory health lawyer Deborah Samenow to its Washington, D.C. office as a member of the Firm's Health Law Group.

"Deborah brings a tremendous amount of experience and a deep understanding of the health industry, particularly related to Medicare, to our team," said Scott L. Campbell, managing shareholder of Baker Donelson's Washington, D.C. office. "Her background and her commitment to excellence will create additional opportunities for high-level collaboration in providing smart solutions for our clients as they navigate complex issues related to healthcare."

Ms. Samenow joins the Firm as of counsel, concentrating her practice on Medicare reimbursement matters as well as enrollment and compliance issues, including revocation of billing privileges and responses to payment suspensions, overpayment demands, and denied claims. Prior to joining Baker Donelson, Ms. Samenow served as an Administrative Appeals Judge on the Medicare Appeals Court at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Department Appeals Board (DAB). In this role, she adjudicated Medicare claims on appeal from the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA), issuing final administrative actions on behalf of the Secretary of HHS. Ms. Samenow worked largely on medical necessity denials, including those arising from sample and non-sample audits, extrapolated overpayments, and Medicare secondary payer recovery claims. As well as reviewing medical documentation for compliance with coverage criteria, she adjudicated claims involving coding disputes and reimbursement amounts. She also decided cases involving Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans, and entitlement to Medicare.

Before serving as an Administrative Appeals Judge, Ms. Samenow was Deputy Director of the division that supports the Medicare Appeals Council within the DAB. She frequently interacted with various offices within HHS, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and collaborated with leadership and staff on internal rulemaking, policy formation, and claim appeals operations within the Department.

After graduating from the University of Maryland School of Law, Ms. Samenow served as a staff attorney at the Center for Health and Homeland Security at the university, where she worked on legal and policy issues related to public health preparedness and response for the Baltimore City Health Department.