Brooks Pierce partner Joey Ponzi was recently awarded the North Carolina Pediatric Society 2018 Good for Kids Award. The award is given to an individual or organization who initiates or participates in a community or statewide effort to improve the quality of life for children.
The North Carolina Pediatric Society (NC Peds) is an organization dedicated to empowering pediatricians and affiliates in their mission to ensure the physical, social and emotional well-being of children. NC Peds supports successes in pediatric medicine through education, advocacy and community outreach programs.
Ponzi represented NC Peds, along with several North Carolina primary care practices, in litigation against the North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance (DMA). Ponzi argued that for two years DMA underpaid North Carolina pediatricians and other primary care providers who administered vaccines under the Vaccines for Children Program, a federal program that ensures vaccines are available to all children regardless of ability to pay. The court ruled that the DMA must now correct the underpayment for every affected provider in the state.
Ponzi represents clients in health care litigation, including Medicaid Waiver disputes with Local Management Entities and Managed Care Organizations, and licensing and penalty disputes with the Department of Health and Human Services. He is experienced in claims payment disputes, including payment clawbacks and misprocessing of claims. He regularly appears before the Office of Administrative Hearings and has extensive experience working and negotiating with regulators.
