Deborah Samenow is a regulatory health care lawyer with more than ten years of experience relating to Medicare coverage and reimbursement disputes.
Prior to joining Baker Donelson, Ms. Samenow served as an Administrative Appeals Judge on the Medicare Appeals Council at the United States Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Departmental Appeals Board (DAB). In this role, she adjudicated Medicare claims on appeal from the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA), issuing final administrative actions on behalf of the Secretary of HHS.
Ms. Samenow worked largely on medical necessity denials, including those arising from sample and non-sample audits, extrapolated overpayments, and Medicare secondary payer recovery claims. As well as reviewing medical documentation for compliance with coverage criteria, she adjudicated claims involving coding disputes and reimbursement amounts. She also decided cases involving Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans, and entitlement to Medicare.
Before serving as an Administrative Appeals Judge, Ms. Samenow was Deputy Director of the division that supports the Medicare Appeals Council within the DAB. She collaborated with leadership on internal rulemaking, policy formation, and claim appeals operations within the Department.
Prior to joining the DAB, Ms. Samenow was a staff attorney at the Center for Health and Homeland Security at the University of Maryland, where she worked on legal and policy issues related to public health preparedness and response for the Baltimore City Health Department.