WACHLER & ASSOCIATES, P.C.

Abby Pendleton
Royal Oak, Michigan

Partner
phone	(248) 544-0888
fax	(248) 544-3111
email	Email Me

ABBY PENDLETON is a partner with WACHLER & ASSOCIATES, P.C. She graduated Cum Laude from Central Michigan University in 1993 and was a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wayne State University Law School in 1996 and is a member of the Order of the Coif. Ms. Pendleton was a member of the Wayne State Law Review and served on its editorial board as a Senior Articles Editor. While at Wayne State, she was a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Book Awards in Contracts and Criminal Law as well as the Deloitte and Touche LLP Award for her achievement in tax law.

Ms. Pendleton has been practicing healthcare law for over ten years. She regularly provides counsel to healthcare providers and organizations in a number of areas, including but not limited to compliance, HIPAA, fraud and abuse, Medicare and other payor audits, and reimbursement matters. Ms. Pendleton also specializes in legal issues impacting anesthesia, pain management and hospice providers.

Ms. Pendleton is a member of the State Bar of Michigan (Member, Health Care Law Section); the American Health Lawyer's Association; the Health Care Compliance Association; the Medical Group Management Association and the Michigan Medical Group Management Association.

Areas of Practice:: Health & Health Care Law

Bar Admissions:: Michigan, 1996; U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan, 1996

Education:: Wayne State University Law School, Detroit, Michigan, 1996
J.D.
Honors: Magna Cum Laude
Honors: Order of the Coif; Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, 1993
B.S.B.A
Honors: Cum Laude
Major: Finance

Published Works:: "Can Medicare take my money? What the One-Time Notification means", Michigan Medical Law Report, Vol. 4, No. 2, Summer, 2008; "Compliance Corner: OIG Workplan 2008", Anesthesia Business Consultants Communique, Spring, 2008; "OIG Work Plan 2008: What can providers expect in 2008?", Michigan Medical Law Report, Vol. 4, No. 1, Spring, 2008; "Is Medicare being billed the right way? Here's how to avoid the risks", Michigan Medical Law Report, Vol. 3, No. 4, Winter, 2008; "Get Ready: RACs may be nationwide sooner than expected!", HCCA Compliance Today, Vol. 9, No. 10, October, 2007; "Get ready for increased nationwide Medicare audit activity", Michigan Medical Law Report, Vol. 3, No. 3, Fall, 2007; "Legal issues impacting physician recruitment relationships", Michigan Medical Law Report, Vol. 2, No. 4, Winter, 2007; "What all physicians need to know about the proposed changes to the Medicare physician fee schedule", Michigan Medical Law Report, Vol. 2, No. 3, Fall, 2006; "Prescribing controlled substances: What every physician should know", Michigan Medical Law Report, Vol. 2, No. 2, Summer, 2006; "The New Medicare Part A and Part B Appeals Process", Health Law Handbook 2006, Part I, Chapter I, 2006; "The Michigan Social Security Number Privacy Act, new whistleblower provisions of the Michigan Medicaid False Claims Act and more", Michigan Medical Law Report, Vol. 2, No. 1, Spring, 2006; "Billing: Three key compliance tips that every physician should implement," (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq.), Michigan Medical Law Report, Vol. 1, No. 4, pg. 5, 10, Winter, 2005; "Compliance Auditing: Three Key Issues That Every Physician Should Consider" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq.), Michigan Medical Law Report, Vol. 1, No. 3, Fall, 2005; "The New Medicare Appeals Process", Co-Author, The Health Lawyer, The ABA Health Law Section, Vol. 17, No. 3, June, 2005; "Third-Party Payor Audits: The Impact on Anesthesia Groups", Anesthesia Business Consultants Communique, Fall, 2004; "Third-Party Payor Audits: Impact on Physician and Healthcare Provider Clients" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq.), Laches, July, 2004; "Medicare Appeal and Recovery Reforms under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq.), The Health Lawyer, The ABA Health Law Section, March, 2004; "Have you Engaged in Compliance Activities Lately?" (With Robert S. Iwrey), MSA Ventilator, December, 2003; "Final HIPAA Security Rule Allows Greater Flexibility" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq. and Amy Fehn, Esq.), The Health Lawyer, The ABA Health Law Section, April, 2003; "New HIPAA Privacy Guidance Reduces ASC Fears" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq.), FASA Update: Journal of the Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association, Volume XX, Number 1, January/February, 2003; "Cpt 2000: Pain Management Coding Compliance", Anesthesia Business Consultants Communique, Winter, 2000; "OIG Softens its Overall Approach in Releasing the Final Compliance Guidance for Individual and Small Group Physician Practices" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq. and Robert S. Iwrey Esq.), The Health Lawyer, The ABA Health Law Section, October, 2000; "OIG Issues Draft Compliance Guidance for Individual and Small Group Physician Practices" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq. and Robert S. Iwrey, Esq.), The Health Lawyer, The ABA Health Law Section, June, 2000; "Hospice Providers are Well Advised to Address OIG Identified Hospice Risk Areas", Health Care Weekly Review, February, 2000; "OIG Issues Special Advisory Bulletin on Gainsharing Arrangements", Anesthesia Business Consultants Communique, Fall, 1999; "Continuing Education is Key to Compliance" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq.), Anesthesia News, November, 1999; "OIG Issues Compliance Guidance for the Hospice Industry and Medicare + Choice Organizations" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq. and Phyllis A. Avery, Esq.), The Health Lawyer, The ABA Health Law Section, October, 1999; "HCFA Issues Final Rule on Medical Direction", Anesthesiology News, November/December, 1998; "HIPAA Security Workbook and Toolkit" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq.), Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association; "HIPAA Privacy Workbook and Toolkit" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq.), Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association; "Anesthesia Time: Compliance Tips", Anesthesia Business Consultants Communique; "HIPAA Security Workbook and Toolkit" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq.), United Communications Group; "HIPAA Privacy Workbook and Toolkit" (With Andrew B. Wachler, Esq.), United Communications Group

Classes/Seminars Taught:: The Medicare Appeals Process and Strategies for Successful Appeals, Michigan Home Health Association, May 14, 2008; Billing Coding and Compliance, Society for Pain Practice Management, July 20, 2007 - July 22, 2007; The Future of Healthcare, BOC Athletic Trainer Regulatory Conference, July 12, 2007 - July 13, 2007; Compliance Program Challenges & Opportunities (panel member), Health Care Compliance Association, June 15, 2007; Third Party Payor Audits, American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), April 26, 2007 - April 29, 2007; Billing, Avoiding Malpractice, Society for Pain Practice Management, March 10, 2007 - March 14, 2007; Multiple Topics, Society for Pain Practice Management, January 20, 2007 - January 21, 2007; The New Medicare Appeals Process, Annual Meeting of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), October 25, 2006; Fraud and Abuse Compliance Issues, United Communications Group Physicians National Summit, September 14, 2006 - September 16, 2006; Key Legal Compliance Issues Facing Skilled Nursing Facilities, Healthcare Association of Michigan (HCAM), 2006; How to Keep your DME Relationships Problem-Free, United Communications Group, 2006; Medicare Appeals, Exclusive Contracts, Compliance, Legal Risks of Facility Ownership, Society for Pain Practice Management, 2005; State Laws and Regulations (Current Trends & Implications to AMCs) (panel member), NC NICA 3rd Academic Medical Center Conference, 2005; Operationalizing HIPAA Privacy and Security, Society for Pain Practice Management, 2005; Top Five Clauses to Watch Out for in Private Payer Contracts, Decision Health's Private Payer Contract Solutions Conference, 2005; Understanding the Basics of HIPAA, ICLE 11th Annual Health Law Institute, 2005; Practical Steps to HIPAA Compliance for Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association 2003 Annual Meeting, 2003; HIPAA Compliance, Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Anesthesia Administration Assembly 2003 Conference in Montreal, Canada, 2003; HIPAA, United Communications Group, October 1, 2003 - October 3, 2003; HIPAA, United Communications Group, April 11, 2003; Anesthesia Billing Compliance, United Communications Group Anesthesia Conference, January 23, 2003 - January 24, 2003; HIPAA Compliance, United Communications Group, January 30, 2002 - February 1, 2002; Anesthesia Compliance, Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Anesthesia Administration Assembly 2002 Conference, 2002; How to Boost Compliance in your Pain Practice, United Communications Group, October 22, 2001 - October 23, 2001; Documentation and Monitoring of a Compliance Program, United Communications Group, July 23, 2001 - July 24, 2001; HIPAA Privacy Rule, United Communications Group, April 1, 2001; Compliance for Pain Management Physicians, United Communications Group, January 1, 2001 - April 1, 2001; Medicare & Medicaid: Enforcement, Compliance and the Transition to Managed Care in Michigan ("Developing and Implementing a Compliance Program"), Lorman Education Services, 1999 - 2000; How to Boost Compliance in your Pain Practice, United Communications Group, 1999 - 2000; Development and Implementation of Compliance Programs for Anesthesia Practices, United Communications Group, November 1, 1999

Honors and Awards:: American Jurisprudence Book Awards in Contracts and Criminal Law, 1996; Deloitte & Touche LLP Award for Tax Law, 1996

Professional Associations and Memberships:: State Bar of Michigan, Health Care Law Section, 1996; Member; American Health Lawyers Association, 1996; Member; Health Care Compliance Association, 1998; Medical Group Management Association; Michigan Medical Group Management Association