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.