Carel T. Hedlund
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
Court Admissions
- Court of Appeals of Maryland
- Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia
- Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- United States District Court for the District of Columbia
- United States Supreme Court
Education
- Northeastern University School of Law (J.D., 1979)
- Upsala College (B.A., magna cum laude, 1970)
Carel T. Hedlund
Experience
Carel T. Hedlund is counsel in the Health Law Group of Ober|Kaler. Carel, who has practiced with the firm for more than 25 years, represents hospitals, home health agencies, skilled nursing facilities and other providers. She handles Medicare payment disputes on a variety of issues including wage index, medical education payments, disproportionate share hospital (DSH) adjustments, bad debts and provider taxes, and makes every effort to get issues resolved during the administrative process. Where that cannot be done, she is a seasoned litigator in handling these appeals before the Provider Reimbursement Review Board and in the federal court system, including the United States Supreme Court.
She also advises clients on all aspects of the Medicare program, including provider-based issues, provider enrollment, compliance with Medicare billing policies, and the Medicare aspects of business transactions; assists clients in the development and implementation of corporate compliance programs; and advises and defends clients on Medicare-related fraud and abuse issues involving allegations of improper billing and fraudulent cost reports.
Carel is a writer and lecturer on Medicare topics and was named by Nightingale’s Healthcare News as one of the Outstanding Hospital Lawyers for 2007. She is co-editor of Payment Matters, Ober|Kaler's publication on Medicare/Medicaid payment issues.
Professional Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Health Law Forum
- American Health Lawyers Association
Honoraries
- Selected by Nightingale’s Healthcare News as one of the Outstanding Hospital Lawyers for 2007
- Author, numerous articles in Ober|Kaler’s Payment Matters, a bi-weekly e-newsletter on Medicare and Medicaid payment issues
- Author, “Payment for Medicare Bad Debts at Collection Agency Still Uncertain,” Health Law Alert, 2009
- Author, “Review of the OIG Work Plan FY 2007,” Compliance Today, Health Care Compliance Association, 2007
- Author, “FY 2007 Wage Index and the Occupational Mix Adjustment,” Dennis Barry's Reimbursement Advisor, 2006
- Author, “Provider Enrollment Process: The Details,” Dennis Barry's Reimbursement Advisor, 2006
- Author, “The FY 2007 Wage Index: Treatment of Post Retirement Costs a Significant Departure from CMS 1994 Policy,” Dennis Barry’s Reimbursement Advisor, 2006
- Author, “Hospitals Face Increased Risks for Improper Discharge Coding,” Health Law Alert, 2006
- Author, “IRF 75 Percent Rule Blocked,” Health Law Alert, 2005
- Presenter, Tutorial on “Medicare Reimbursement of Home Health Agencies,” 2009, available on AHLA website
- Presenter, “Wage Index Issues,” AHLA Medicare and Medicare Institute, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
- Presenter, “Medicare Overview,” D.C. Bar Association and GWU School of Public Health: Introduction to Health Law Series, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
- Co-presenter, “Medicare's New Provider Enrollment Rules: New Requirements for Every Organization That Bills Medicare,” DecisionHealth Teleconference, 2006
- Presenter, AHLA Teleconference on Wage Index and Geographic Reclassification Issues in Final FY 2005 Rules, 2004
- Co-presenter, “8 Strategies to Protect Your Hospital Against the Government Crackdown on Outlier Fraud,” Audio Conference sponsored by Medicare Compliance Alert, 2003
- Co-presenter, AHLA Teleconference on New Provider-based Rules, 2002
