BERNARD M. TALBERT, ESQ.

Bernie brings to FSS a long and successful history of representing Intermediaries and Medicare Administrative Contractors before the PRRB. He presented his first case in 1976 as a general staff attorney for the Illinois Blue Cross and Blue Shield Intermediary. He moved to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association in 1980 and was a key part of a team that convinced CMS (then HCFA) to centrally establish and fund an Intermediary PRRB defense resource.

He successfully defended many complex issues before the PRRB where the CMS positions were preserved through judicial review. These issues included loss on advance refunding, loss on sale, exclusion of general assistance days from DSH, and proper pension reporting for wage index calculations.

Bernie has been a frequent presenter at professional organization and Intermediary/MAC sponsored training programs on Medicare reimbursement substantive and procedural appeal issues.

Bernie has a BSBA degree with a major in accounting from Roosevelt University and a Juris Doctorate with honors from John Marshall Law School.