Joni’s practice focuses primarily on health benefit matters. She
routinely provides advice on federal laws such as ERISA, HIPAA and COBRA, among
others. Typical clients include human resource and legal departments of
corporations, hospitals and financial institutions, trustees of health and
welfare funds, third party administrators and health care providers. She is
also consulted by attorneys locally and nationally for assistance with matters
involving health benefit plan compliance requirements, health benefit litigation
and appeals of health benefit claims. A few examples of her legal services
include:
Ø
Contract
Review: Review
and negotiation of health insurance contracts and third party administration (ASO)
contracts;
Ø
COBRA
Compliance:
COBRA compliance advice including drafting of COBRA compliance documents;
Ø
HIPAA
Compliance:
HIPAA privacy compliance advice to employer group health plans including
drafting of compliance plans and business associate contracts;
Ø
Preparation of
Plan Documents/Employee Communications:
Preparation of
legally-required plan documents
such as cafeteria plan documents and employee communication materials such as
summary plan descriptions, and special enrollment rights and Medicare Part D
notices;
Ø
Health Benefit
Alternatives:
Advice on various health benefit arrangements such as flexible spending accounts
(FSAs), health reimbursement accounts (HRAs) health savings accounts (HSAs) and
cafeteria plans;
Ø
Health Benefit
Litigation:
Consultation to employer health plans, health care providers and attorneys in
disputed matters involving health benefits;
Ø
Subrogation:
Handles subrogation and overpayment recoveries for health plans;
Ø
Coordination
of Benefits:
Advice on coordination of benefit issues;
Ø
Court Orders:
Advice on court orders requiring health coverage for children including
Qualified Medical Child Support Orders and National Medical Child Support
Notices;
Ø
Domestic
Partner Benefits:
Advice on legal issues applicable to health benefits for domestic partners.
Career
and Educational Background
Joni is a shareholder and member of the firm’s
Employee Benefits and Health Care Practice Groups. She has over
27 years experience in the health care industry
spanning two careers, the past 17 as a practicing attorney. She is a law review
graduate of Duquesne University School of Law (1990). While there, she
served as law review research editor and interned with the Honorable Carol Los
Mansmann of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. In addition
to her tenure with Tucker, Joni practiced health benefits law with Reed Smith,
LLP. Her background also includes a master's degree in social work from the
University of
Maryland
(1980). Prior to practicing law, she was a medical social worker at health care
institutions in both Pittsburgh and Baltimore, including the Johns Hopkins Good
Samaritan physical medicine and rehabilitation unit. Her undergraduate degree is
from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (1976).
Publications
Joni is author of "Preserving the Tax Advantages of Medical
Savings Accounts," published in the Journal of Taxation, and co-authored
"Psychosocial Services in Rehabilitation Medicine, an Interdisciplinary
Approach" published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Professional Affiliations
Her professional affiliations include membership in the
American Health Lawyers Association, International Foundation of Employee
Benefit Plans and the American and Allegheny County Bar Associations.
View
Joni’s most recent articles on the Medlaw Blog:
