Ciara Koba, Esq.

Ciara Koba is a principal at Allan Koba Compliance Solutions. She combines her education in law and medicine with technology skills and nearly a decade of practical experience to deliver comprehensive solutions to her clients. Koba is one of the nation’s foremost authorities on Medicare Mandatory Insurer Reporting and auditing. She is a licensed attorney and former registered nurse with significant general and surgical nursing experience, and she brings a unique understanding of the healthcare industry to the resolution of Medicare issues.

Koba is a recognized national presenter on Medicare Secondary Payer compliance topics and frequently lectures to insurance carriers, self-insured businesses, third-party administrators, law firms and professional industry organizations. She graduated from Duquesne University School of Law, cum laude, in 2011. While there, she founded the university’s first Health Law Society and served as its president. Koba received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duquesne University in 2006.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 3:00-4:00 p.m., Section 111 Roadmap

David Korch, JD, AIC, SCLA, CMSP, CMSS

David J. Korch is the Vice President of Arcadia Settlements Group.  He is a national resource for the brokerage staff in the negotiation and settlement of workers compensation claims, third party claims and all claim resolutions needing protection of government benefits.  He has bee in the insurance industry for over 40 years as a multi-line claim handler, supervisor, claim manager, home office claim consultant, home office director and structured settlement broker.  He was associated, for over 17 years, as a large loss settlement consultant with structured settlement programs at The Travelers and The Hartford specializing in the settlement of catastrophic claims.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 5:00-6:00 p.m., Catastrophic Claims: Unique Considerations

Jason Lazarus, JD, LLM, CSSC, MSCC

Jason Lazarus is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Synergy Settlement Services. Synergy offers healthcare lien resolution, Medicare secondary payer compliance services, pooled trust services, settlement asset management services and structured settlements. He is also the managing partner and founder of the Special Needs Law Firm; a Florida law firm that provides legal services related to public benefit preservation, liens and Medicare Secondary Payer compliance. Lazarus is an Amazon Best-Selling author and his book; Art of Settlement is a detailed guide for trial lawyers related to regulatory compliance when resolving catastrophic claims. His written work has been cited, as authoritative on Medicare compliance, by the Supreme Court of Florida and the United States Southern District of Florida.

Lazarus received his B.A. from the University of Central Florida and his J.D. with high honors from Florida State University. He received his LLM in Elder Law with Distinction from Stetson University College of Law and is a Medicare Set Aside Consultant (MSCC) certified by the International Commission on Health Care Certification.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 5:00-6:00 p.m., Post Settlement Pitfalls

Elena Lidrbauch, Esq., CELA

Elena Lidrbauch, Esq., CELA, is a shareholder at Hickman & Lowder and focuses on issues affecting the elderly and individuals with disabilities. Her practice includes Medicaid planning, guardianship, planning for families with special needs, estate planning and probate. As a Certified Elder Law Attorney, Lidrbauch has extensive knowledge into the issues her elder clients face. The twelve years she spent working with community mental health services gives her in-depth knowledge of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities, as well as their families. Her insight provides comfort to clients and their families, bringing peace of mind, knowing they have support and guidance when planning for the years ahead.

Session: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 2:15-3:15 p.m., Don't Sacrifice the Safety Net

Brian MacAllister, AIC, MSCC, CMSP-F

Brian MacAllister is the Manager of the Conditional Payment Unit at Liberty Mutual Insurance. During his nineteen years with the company, MacAllister has held roles in both the personal and commercial lines claims organizations. For the last ten years, he has worked in the Medicare Compliance Department. In his current role, MacAllister is responsible for the Conditional Payment program, provides settlement consultation, and develops training. He has a degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University, Associate in Claims (AIC), Medicare-Set-Aside Consultant Certified (MSCC), Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional Fellow (CMSP-F) and is a member of the Medicare Secondary Payer Network (MSPN).

Outside of work MacAllister loves to travel with his wife Lisa and daughter Olivia. Some of his favorite destinations include vacations to Disney, and trips to California wine country. He loves the outdoors, and can often be found hiking, camping, and fly fishing throughout New England

Session: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., Behind the Eight Ball: Conditional Payment Appeals

Jennifer McClain, RN, BSN, CMSP-F

Jennifer currently serves as Legal Nurse Consultant at the Chicago law firm of Nyhan, Bambrick, Kinzie, & Lowry. She has spent more than 20 years as a Registered Nurse, working in the areas of intensive care, hospital administration, and as a certified case manager (CCM), transitioning this special skill set to the MSP compliance arena in 2009. Using her vast medical knowledge and extensive experience in MSP compliance, she is able to provide her clients with comprehensive and accurate Medicare Set Asides and Medical Cost Projections for the most catastrophic of cases. Jennifer holds a license as a Registered Nurse in Louisiana and is a Certified Medicare Secondary Professional Fellow (CMSP-F).


Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 4:00-5:00 p.m.,Safe Cracking: Reverse Engineering Your MSAs

Christine Melancon, RN, CMSP-F

Christine Melancon currently serves as the Director of Regulatory Compliance at CLARA analytics, the leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the commercial insurance industry. Previously, Melancon served as an Operations Strategist for Cobalt Compliance Partners, LLC and was the Founder and Vice President of Operations at EZ-MSA.

In the past, Melancon has served as Co-Chair of MSPN’s Education Committee and as a Board Member and Officer of the assocation. She enjoys educating others who desire to learn more about Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance issues and is a frequent speaker at various events, as well as an instructor for the Louisiana Association of Self-Insured Employers’ (LASIE) Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional Fellow (CMSP-F) Program. Melancon is a graduate of Charity Hospital School of Nursing and the University of New Orleans. She has successfully transferred many years of clinical experience into a successful career in Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance.

Session: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 3:45-4:45 p.m., Wishlist

Jack Meligan, RSP, BCFE, MSCC, CMSP-F

A champion of plaintiffs’ rights and widely recognized industry authority, Jack L. Meligan is the founder of SPI and a 30-year veteran of the financial planning, structured settlement and settlement planning industries. During this time, he has assisted over 1,400 plaintiffs and their attorneys across the U.S. with major, high-dollar catastrophic injury cases. Meligan is also the founding president of the Society of Settlement Planners, an association of settlement planners, structured settlement specialists, and special needs settlement-planning attorneys from around the country. This association specifically advocates for settlement planning as a process to uncover and plan for the needs of injury victims and their families. Additionally, he is currently president of the Registry of Settlement Planners, a 501(c)(3) organization that dedicates itself to the training, certification, and continuing education of members of the settlement planning profession.

A Board Certified Forensic Examiner (BCFE) in the field of annuity testimony, Meligan is frequently called upon to testify for plaintiffs across the U.S. He is also one of the first Registered Settlement Planners in the country.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 5:00-6:00 p.m., Post Settlement Pitfalls

Steven Miller, MSPharm, DPh, RPh, CMSP-F

Steven J. Miller, CMSP-F, MSPharm, DPh, RPh, is president of PharmacyMSA.com, a multi-faceted health care consulting organization, specializing in workers compensation and liability Medicare Set Aside development and intervention, clinical geriatric medication therapy management, managed care formulary review and analysis, provider and patient clinical intervention, and managed care pharmaceutical reimbursement issues. He is an advanced degree pharmacist with over 30 years of experience in clinical pharmacy practice. He is also a part time dispensing pharmacist with Walgreens. Miller has served in several capacities with many types of managed care organizations, and has made numerous regional and national presentations on issues such as medication issues for the elderly, cost-effective drug therapies, and pharmaceutical benefit management. He currently serves on several pharmaceutical advisory boards and on the editorial advisory board of ODG/ODG Treatment publication from the Work Loss Data Institute. Miller graduated from the University of Iowa with his B.S. in Pharmacy, and his M.S. from the University of Maryland.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 3:00-4:00 p.m., Red Book: Fact or Fiction

Jennifer Mislanovich, JD

As a Division Manager at MEDVAL, Jennifer Mislanovich oversees accounts in multiple jurisdictions throughout the U.S. Prior to joining MEDVAL in 2012, Mislanovich worked with a Pittsburgh-based law firm and focused her practice on Medicare Secondary Payer Act compliance. She began her career at MEDVAL as an MSA Analyst in 2012 and was promoted to Team Lead MSA Analyst in October 2014. In October 2016, She was promoted to Division Manager and currently oversees MEDVAL’s Eastern Region allocation team, but she also consults on various complex claims and matters throughout the country. Mislanovich is a graduate of Duquesne University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. She is also a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 5:00-6:00 p.m., Catastrophic Claims: Unique Considerations

Yasmin Mukhtar, Esq.

Yaskmin Mukhtar is the Supervisor of Post Adjudication, QIC Part A at Maximus where she supervises a team of attorneys responsible for MSP Act appeals.  She provides contract management and coordination of resource needs with both corporate resources and management.  Mukhtar reviews and prepares decisions to MSP appeals from insurers, attorneys, and beneficiaries, as well as participates in OMHA ALJ hearings.  She is a subject matter expert on MSP issues and legal expert on issues arising in Part A appeals.

Session: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., Behind the Eight Ball: Conditional Payment Appeals

Mileyka Ojeda

Mileyka Ojeda is the NGHP Healthcare Billing & Recovery Manager, MSP Commercial Repayment Center at Performant Corp.

Session: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 10:15-11:15 a.m., Distilling Recovery

Angel Pagan

Angel Pagan has 18 years of Medicare experience. He began his career with the Coordination of Benefits Contractor (COBC) in 2001 and then with the Medicare Secondary Payer Recovery Contractor (MSPRC) in 2006. Angel was the MSPRC supervisor for several years before taking the position of MSPRC Quality Assurance Officer in 2011. In 2013, GHI was awarded the BCRC contract and Angel served as its MSP Policy Specialist from 2013 to 2018 overseeing the BCRC’s Change Management and Training departments. Pagan is currently the BCRC EDI Director and technical lead for the MMSEA Section 111 reporting process.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 10:30-11:30 a.m., The PAID Act - Get the Spill; Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 3:00-4:00 p.m., Section 111 Roadmap; Thursday, September 30, 2021, 10:15-11:15 a.m., Distilling Recovery

Annemarie Pantazis, Esq.

Annemarie Pantazis is a board-certified workers’ compensation specialist and mediator with the Wilder Pantazis Law Group in Charlotte, NC. She earned her B.A. from William & Mary in 1994 and her J.D. from Wake Forest in 1999, where she was a published member of the Law Review and Chief Justice of the Moot Court Board. She served two terms on the NCAJ Board of Governors and served as Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Section. She currently serves as co-chair of the NC State Bar workers’ compensation specialization committee, which drafts and grades the specialization exam. She also currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Workplace Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG), which is a nationwide organization of workers’ compensation advocates. She received WILG’s rising star award, the Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award, Super Lawyers recognitions of Top 25 Lawyers in Charlotte, Top 100 Lawyers in N.C., Top 50 Women Lawyers in N.C., Lawyers Weekly Women in Justice Award, and Best Lawyers-Workers’ Compensation Claimant’s Lawyer of the Year Award.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 3:00-4:00 p.m., MSP: What You Need to Know

Kevin Puckett

Kevin Puckett is President and Owner of KP Underwriting, LLC, an independent underwriting company that provides rated ages and decreased life expectancies for Structured Settlement Life companies and Medicare Set-Asides. He has 25+ years of medical underwriting experience. Puckett has his BBA in Business Administration and Biology from Eastern Kentucky University, an Associates designation from the Academy of Life Underwriting and his FLMI (Fellow, Life Management Institute).

Puckett worked for several of the major Structured Settlement companies over his 14 years in the Structured Settlement industry. In 2004, he ventured out and started KP Underwriting. With KP Underwriting, he has performed underwriting services for multiple life companies and MSA companies, including, writing underwriting manuals, auditing underwriting departments as well as performing expert witness testimony on life expectancy in multiple states, including the Department of Justice.

Session: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 3:45-4:45 p.m., Wishlist

Mark Popolizio, Esq.

Mark Popolizio is the Vice President of MSP Compliance and Policy for ISO Claims Partners. He is a nationally recognized authority in Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) compliance and has practiced insurance defense litigation for ten years concentrating in the areas of workers’ compensation and general liability.

Since 2006, Popolizio has dedicated his practice exclusively to MSP compliance working with carriers, self-insureds, TPAs and other claims professionals in addressing MSP compliance issues. He is a regularly featured presenter on MSP issues at national seminars and other industry events – and has authored numerous national articles addressing several topics related to MSP matters, including a chapter in the California Bar CLE publication, Special Needs Trusts: Planning, Drafting and Administration. He is also active with other industry groups, including MARC, DRI and MSPN.

Popolizio graduated Summa Cum Laude from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut with Bachelor of Science degrees in Legal Studies and Sociology. He relocated to South Florida in 1992 to attend law school at Nova Southeastern University School of Law in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. While at law school, Popolizio served as a Judicial Clerk to the late Honorable John D. Wessel (15th Judicial Circuit, Palm Beach County, Florida) and was a research assistant for Professor Leslie Larkin Cooney. He graduated from Nova in 1995 and is licensed to practice law in Florida and Connecticut.

Session: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 3:45-4:45 p.m., Wishlist

Heather Sanderson, Esq., MSCC, CHPE, CLMP, CMSP

Since the inception of her career, Heather Schwartz Sanderson, Esq. has been passionately devoted to providing simple and straightforward Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) legal strategy, compliance solutions, as well as MSP education to the insurance and legal communities. Sanderson has 12+ years of dedicated experience in MSP compliance, and has often been referred to as one of the foremost experts in the country on MSP. Prior to launching Sanderson Firm PLLC, Heather served as Chief Legal Officer for Franco Signor for 6 years, a leading national MSP services provider, until its ultimate acquisition by ISO CP in 2020. Prior to her tenure as CLO at Franco Signor, Sanderson previously served as both Corporate Counsel for Optum as well as Staff Counsel for ExamWorks Compliance Solutions.

Over the last decade, Sanderson has served as an MSP expert both in Federal class action litigation as well as in litigated matters at the state level. She is an award-winning blogger and national speaker on MSP compliance, and a recipient of a 2018 Business Insurance Break Out Award. She serves an Ambassador for the Women to Watch Foundation, a 501(c)(3) entity serving humanitarian initiatives for women. Sanderson has been an active proponent in Washington D.C. for MSP legislative reform since 2011 and is proud of the industry’s accomplishment of the passage of both SMART Act (2013) and PAID Act (2020).

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 10:30-11:30 a.m., The PAID Act - Get the Spill

Leslie Schumacher, RN, CRRN, CCM, LNCC, CLCP, CNLCP, MSCC, CMSP

For over 10 years, Leslie Schumacher has been involved in Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance. Schumacher is a Registered Nurse who actively holds Certified Life Care Planner and Certified Nurse Life Care Planner as well as Medicare Set Aside Consultant Certified and Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional credentials. A graduate of Drexel University, She also holds the following additional certifications: Certified Case Manager, Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse, Legal Nurse Consultant Certified, Medicare Secondary Payer Professional and Certified Nurse Life Care Planner.

Schumacher maintains professional affiliations with the National Alliance of Medicare Set Aside Professionals (NAMSAP), American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC), International Association of Life Care Planners (IALCP) and International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP). Leslie has been elected as Board Member of both IARP and the IALCP; she is former chairperson of the Education Committee and current Member of NAMSAP as well as former ICHCC (International Commission for Health Care Certification) Commissioner of Medicare Set Aside Allocations. She has also participated as an instructor of Medicare Set Aside education with the University of Florida.

Schumacher is currently President of PlanPoint, a national provider of Medicare Set Aside Allocations as well as all other aspects of Medicare Secondary Payer compliance. Her unique and engaging speaking style coupled with her extensive experience in nursing, Life Care Planning and Medicare Secondary Payer compliance has made her a featured speaker at industry conferences nationwide.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 3:00-4:00 p.m., Red Book: Fact or Fiction

Steve Shaw, Esq., CMSP-F

Steve is a claimant’s personal injury attorney from Seattle, Washington. He began a Medicare Secondary Payer practice in 2011 when fellow claimant’s attorneys sought him out for answers to questions about Medicare Set-Asides and Conditional Payments in liability cases. Eventually he was asked by his state’s trial lawyer association to teach continuing education classes and to serve as the editor of their subrogation and lien resolution deskbook series. Shortly after that Shaw joined NAMSAP and came to know many MSP thought leaders by attending the annual conferences. More recently he became CMSP certified.

Today Shaw consults with attorneys around the country on Medicare Secondary Payer issues. He is also a fellow and an instructor in LASIE’s CMSP certification course. He is regularly asked to present with other Medicare Secondary Payer professionals, and enjoys bringing the claimant’s perspective to the discussion. Shaw makes Seattle, Washington his home with his wife Michelle and their four children.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 4:00-5:00 p.m., Liability on Trial

Jennifer Shymanski, Esq., CMSP-F

Jennifer Shymanski has been with the NuQuest since 2010. Prior to joining NuQuest, she spent over ten years at a large national insurer working with both workers compensation and liability claims teams. Her focus is on assisting clients in designing and then implementing their Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance programs. Shymanski develops the training content and creates the education programs at NuQuest, including their weekly educational webinar series “NuQuest Knowledge Series” and the NuQuest Podcast. As part of the NuQuest Settlement Consultant Team, she uses her extensive claims and MSP experience to assist clients in reaching optimal outcomes for their claims resolution.

Shymanski holds a law degree from Northern Illinois University College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Wisconsin. She is also an instructor for the Certified Medicare Secondary Payer (CMSP) and CMSP-Fellow designations. She is an Advisory Board member of The National Medicare Secondary Payer Network (MSPN formerly NAMSAP) and is a co-chair of their Webinar and Podcast Committees. Shymanski is also an adjunct instructor of Business Law at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, Wisconsin.


Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 3:00-4:00 p.m., MSP: What You Need to Know

Will Sykes

Will Sykes, from New York, is the director of the BCRC Call Center. He has over 15 years of contact center management experience specializing in Vendor Relationship and Workforce Management. Additionally, he has been involved with Medicare and specifically the Medicare Secondary Payer space since 2006.

Session: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 10:15-11:15 a.m., Distilling Recovery

Christina White, Esq.

Christina M. White is a Senior Counsel in the Tort Division of the New York City Law Department, Office of the Corporation Counsel located in downtown NYC. She oversees handling all judgments, structured settlements and Medicare compliance and recovery issues for the Tort Division. White began her legal career with the Law Department in 1994 and has been handling MSP compliance since 2009. She is admitted to practice in the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and has a B.A. from Binghamton University; an M.B.A. from Dowling College and a J.D. from Touro Law Center. White is also a Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional (CMSP) Fellow and member of the MSP Network for which she participates in various committees and working groups. She resides in northern New Jersey with her husband and 7 children.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 4:00-5:00 p.m., Liability on Trial

Monica Williams, CCM, CRRN, LNC, MSCC, CMSP

Monica Williams has over 20 years of Managed Care and Workers Compensation experience. She is the Medicare Compliance Manager for Innovative Claims Strategies (ICS) where she has oversight of Medicare Set Aside program which includes CMS legal submission and Conditional Payment Resolution. As Manager she has developed and implemented the Medicare Compliance Department internal workflow processes. She was formerly the District Manager for Georgia and then National Catastrophic Program Manager for Intracorp.

Williams is President of MWC, LLC consulting practice in State of Georgia which provides Complex Case Reviews, Medical, Catastrophic Field Case Management and Life Care Plans. In addition to her role on the MSPN board, she serves on the Annual Conference and Liability Committees and is Co-Chair of Membership Committee.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 5:00-6:00 p.m., Catastrophic Claims: Unique Considerations

Robert Wilson

Robert "Bob" Wilson is the CEO of WorkersCompensation.com, and author of the award winning blog, "From Bob's Cluttered Desk". Wilson is an accomplished presenter for the workers' comp industry.

Sessions: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 12:15-1:15 p.m., Legal-ease: A Legislative and Regulatory Update

Aaron Winnell, CMSP

Aaron Winnell is President of Medivest, a national MSP compliance company specializing in professional administration, Medicare Set-Aside arrangements and lien resolution. He is a 15-yr veteran of the professional administration space. He joined Medivest in 2006 to develop software tailored to post-settlement funds administration and MSP compliance. Winnell's overseen general operations at Medivest since 2014. He's currently a fellow and instructor for the Certified Medicare Secondary Payer Professional (CMSP) program. Winnell is an alumni of Marshall University and resides in Montverde, Florida with his wife and two daughters.

Session: Thursday, September 30, 2021, 1:15-2:15 p.m., Post Script: What Happens After Settlement

Amber Worman

Amber Worman is a Senior Workers’ Compensation Claims Examiner with the Montana Municipal Interlocal Authority. With 20 years of health care, patient advocacy, risk management and insurance experience, she offers a uniquely helpful perspective regarding MSP regulations and their impact on beneficiaries, medical providers, insurers and legal climates. She enjoys serving as an MSP strategy resource for industry professionals across Montana.

Worman's formal education includes Masters of Health Administration (MHA), BS Business Administration-Management, Medicare Set-Aside Consultant Certified (MSCC), Associate in Claims-Management (AIC-M), Associate in General Insurance (AINS), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), and is currently enrolled in her final course to obtain the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation.

Session: Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Avoiding the Bracelets - Civil Monetary Penalties