2024 SHA Annual Conference

Matt Monyhan is the Executive Director of Operations & Strategy for Carelon Subrogation.  He has spent decades working in healthcare subrogation as both plan and vendor.  Starting as a recovery analyst, he now oversees recovery efforts for almost 40M lives.  Based in Louisville KY, Matt strives to make healthcare subrogation more efficient and less abrasive while reducing costs for payors.

Brian Bargender is an internal consultant with Humana, one of the country’s largest Medicare Advantage organizations. He has more than 20 years of experience in health benefit subrogation and Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) enforcement operations including case file management, advisory, and leadership roles. His current responsibilities include researching trends and legal developments that influence coordination of benefits and payment recovery for group health, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid managed care plans. He also develops new cost avoidance and payment recovery projects, advises health plan leaders, and collaborates with Humana’s Law Department on Medicare Secondary Payer enforcement strategy. In addition, he is frequently invited to conduct presentations on MSP and health subrogation issues for audiences that include health plans, injury insurance carriers, and plaintiff attorneys. Brian holds a Master of Science degree in Legal Studies and Applied Legal Research from Purdue University and has received a Certified Subrogation Recovery Professional (CSRP) designation from the National Association of Subrogation Professionals (NASP). He also previously served as a co-chair of NASP’s Wisconsin chapter and as a Health Subrogation education track leader for NASP’s annual conference. Brian is now co-chair of a Medicare Secondary Payer and Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set Aside task group for the National Coalition for Prescription Drug Plans (NCPDP).

Logan is the VP of Medicare Compliance for Allan Koba Compliance Solutions. He has worked with AKCS since its inception in October 2020. His work centers around Medicare Secondary Payer issues that arise in workers’ compensation, general liability, and no-fault matters. He focuses mainly on ensuring his clients’ Section 111 Mandatory Insurer Reporting compliance, Conditional Payment resolution - including disputes, appeals, post-treasury debt resolution, and Medicare Advantage conditional payment resolution in light of the PAID Act, preparing and obtaining approval of Medicare Set-Asides, as well as conducting and managing various compliance audits for an array of clients. Logan has previously worked as an associate for national and regional law firms, concentrating on MSP issues for national employers and insurers. Prior to joining a firm, Logan clerked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania supporting matters related to the False Claims Act, Stark Law, and Anti-Kickback regulations. Logan stays engaged in the industry through his involvement in various committees. His recent speaking engagements include the Medicare Secondary Payer Network (MSPN) annual conference, the RISE Medicare Secondary Payer Conditional Payment Forum, and the WSIA Workers’ Compensation annual conference, as well as numerous recent webinars and podcasts. Logan resides in Pittsburgh, PA with his wife Kaitlyn and dog Snoop.

John Kolb is recognized as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on health subrogation law. John has represented insurers and self-funded health plans in recovery matters since 1998. John started his legal career in the in-house law firm of a large recovery vendor. While there, John devised the vendor’s nation-wide litigation strategy in response to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Great-West Life & Annuity Ins. Co. v. Knudson (2002). John went on to found Kolb Clare & Arnold, PSC. John has successfully argued healthcare subrogation cases before the Third, Sixth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals, and before numerous federal district courts. John is proud of his ability to explain complicated matters so that they make sense to non-lawyers and is often invited to speak at national conferences and his clients’ in-house training sessions. In addition, John has served the subrogation industry by authoring and co-authoring briefs on behalf of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals (“NASP”) and the Self-Insurance Association of America (“SIAA”).

James McKown founded Recovery Data Connect, L.L.C. in 2005, which later became a wholly owned subsidiary of Vivius Holdings, L.L.C. in 2009, which McKown also co-founded in 2009 and continues to serve as Executive Vice President. McKown is the named inventor of two Patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office regarding the Identification of Subrogation Claims. Most health insurers – either directly or via a vendor – have used the Vivius-RDC system for many years. Before founding RDC and then Vivius, McKown was a proprietary partner and head of the Products Liability practice group of Spencer Fane, one of the largest firms in the Midwest. McKown received his B.A. from Dartmouth College and his J.D. from the University of Kansas.

Ben Arnold is an attorney and litigation analyst with Vivius-RDC, where he assists in identifying subrogation opportunities for Vivius-RDC’s health insurer clients.  Ben has been with Vivius-RDC since 2014, prior to that he was a partner at Arbuckle Hagerty & Arnold, LLC where he primarily focused his practice on criminal defense and family law.  Ben received his B.A. in History from the University of Kansas in 2007 and his J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2011.  In his free time he enjoys walks with his wife Emily, coaching his son Alex’s baseball and basketball teams, and watching his daughter Kate in her hip hop dance class.

Joel Tilleson is a Partner at Falk Legal Group located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, having been with the firm since its inception in 2013. Joel is experienced in litigating health recovery and auto/property subrogation, as well as prosecuting breach of contract and collections claims.  He has been licensed to practice law in Wisconsin since 2007. In addition to his law career, Joel previously served as an elected city councilman in the city of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and chaired the Council’s licensing and ordinance-drafting committees.

Lisa Boero is the Chief Legal and Compliance Officer for Security Health Plan and the General Counsel of the Marshfield Clinic Health Systems, located in Central and Northern Wisconsin. Lisa has led the in-house subrogation program at Security Health Plan since 2009 and is a past speaker at the NASP Annual Conference. She is licensed to practice law in Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin and graduated from Washington University in Saint Louis, J.D. 2000, and B.A. 1995. In her free time Lisa is also the author of seven novels and several short stories.

Sara Skrzeczkoski has been with Security Health Plan working in subrogation for over 25 years. She has been Subrogation and Third Party Manager for the last 13 years.

Rebekah McGuire-Dye has worked nearly 30 years in the cost containment industry and now serves as the Vice President of Recovery Services Onboarding & Support for The Phia Group, whereby she ensures the company’s client care service function remains unparalleled in the cost containment industry. During her extensive career, Rebekah has served over 150 health benefit providers in roles ranging from front-line file handler to Group Vice President overseeing all commercial subrogation operations for over 20 million benefit recipient lives. Her nearly three-decade cost containment career, while focused on the healthcare line of business, also includes experience in both disability and property and casualty subrogation matters. Such in-depth experiences have cultivated her passion for cutting-edge technology and its ability to drive efficiencies for all levels of an organization. She is honored to be sharing her love of modernization with the board of Subrogation Healthcare Alliance as the inaugural Director of Technology.

While not pursuing cost containment endeavors, Rebekah is an avid traveler (some may say wanderer), nature lover, and family-oriented resident of rural Kentucky. She gives back to her community at every turn and focuses stewardship efforts on advocating for underserved school children in remote parts of Kentucky.

Michael Russell is the Vice President of Mass Torts and General Counsel for ZipLiens. ZipLiens is a lien resolution/compliance company which was formed in 2019 and focuses on the use of cutting-edge technology and collaboration to ensure the efficient resolution of healthcare lien obligations. Michael has been a pivotal player in the subrogation industry since 2008 and has held leadership roles on both sides of the industry. After nearly ten years at Garretson Resolution Group, Michael joined Carelon Subrogation in 2017 and served as Senior Associate General Counsel before moving to ZipLiens earlier this year. He currently serves as the executive leader for ZipLiens mass tort services and is involved in the engineering and execution of resolution programs for various mass tort litigations. He graduated with a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 2005 and received his J.D. from the University of Kentucky in 2008.  Michael and his wife, Michelle, reside in Charlotte, North Carolina, with their three children, Carter (10), Adelynn (7) and Isabelle (5). Michael loves spending time with his family, coaching his kids' sports teams, and working the land on his backyard “farm.” He also occasionally attempts to golf, but not very well.  

Chris has focused his legal career on subrogation and reimbursement recoveries, by working with some of the country’s largest Third Party Administrator’s and self-funded benefit plans. Chris has overseen tens of thousands of cases all over the country and spearheads negotiations between plan participants, plaintiffs’ counsel, and plan administrators on matters of State and Federal Law as well as ERISA Preemption. He has recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of benefit plans. Chris spent several years dabbling in areas of benefit plan cost containment other than Subrogation, including plan drafting as well as plan consulting matters ranging from plan language analysis, claims appeal assistance, balance billing defense, overpayment recovery, stop loss, PPO, and administrative service agreement dispute. Chris refocused his efforts in Subrogation and Reimbursement in 2016 following the Montanile decision. He is a regular contributor to many industry publications such as the Self-Insurer, Benefits Pro, and Money Inc., and is a highly sought-after presenter and trainer for national organizations and conferences.

Matt is a trial attorney and the founding member of the firm. Matt’s practice areas include subrogation, personal injury, catastrophic loss, business and commercial litigation with an emphasis on contracts, collections, covenants not to compete and business torts including fraud, misrepresentation and construction law, mechanics/construction liens, bond claims and trade secrets. Matt possesses significant trial and litigation experience. Matt’s clients include individuals, families, business owners, developers, engineering firms, contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers and large regional insurers and third-party administrators. Matt is admitted to practice in Wisconsin and Illinois.   Matt graduated from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay in 1990.  He then attended graduate School at Catholic University in Quito, Ecuador in 1990-91.  Matt obtained his law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1994. Matt is a certified recovery professional by the National Association of Subrogation Professionals.  Matt is a past President of the Milwaukee Bar Association where he also served on the board executive committee.  Matt is also active in the Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope or MICAH and his service has included participation in the MICAH finance committee.  Matt also lectures at various trial and related professional organizations including the State Bar of Wisconsin; the National Association of Subrogation Professionals (National and Regional Conferences); The Thomas Fairchild American Inns of Court; the Wisconsin Association for Justice, The Serjeants Inn and the Subrogation Healthcare Alliance (Speaker). Matt resides in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin with his wife Deb.  Matt and Deb have two adult daughters, Anna and Zoe.

R. Isaac Beckley III is Senior Associate General Counsel for The Rawlings Group, an industry leader in claims recovery and reimbursement for health plans. Isaac has been with the company for 18 years and manages workers’ compensation litigation services for health plan clients and their self-funded employer group plans. He advises clients on issues with plan language and subrogation strategies for ERISA, FEHBA, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid health plans. He also develops and conducts training for a variety of subrogation topics.

Isaac holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French from Bradley University and earned his Juris Doctor from Ohio Northern University. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife and two children. 

Matt Stephens is a Shareholder and the Managing Partner of Litigation, Operations, and Finance for ROS Law Group. He has practiced law for almost 23 years, and has been with the firm for over 20 years handling health plan subrogation and reimbursement matters on behalf of employers, plan fiduciaries, and third-party administrators. Before joining the firm, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable W. Frank Crawford, former Presiding Judge of the Tennessee Court of Appeals, and worked with one of the country’s largest labor and employment law firms. Mr. Stephens is a leader in the health plan subrogation industry. He is a frequent speaker on ERISA, FEHBA, Medicare, and other challenging health plan subrogation and reimbursement topics around the country. In fact, since 2007, he has been a Presenter at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s National Other Party Liability Group (“NOPLG”) Annual Conference. Last year, Mr. Stephens co-founded the Subrogation Healthcare Alliance (“SHA”), the country’s first organization dedicated solely to healthcare subrogation. He is also a published author. His article, “Becoming the Best Healthcare Gunslinger in the Ninth Circuit,” was published in the Winter 2006 Edition of Subrogator by the National Association of Subrogation Professionals. Additionally, he co-authored “Healthcare Subrogation Trilogy: Sorting Out the Three Cases Decided by the Supreme Court in 2006 in Order to Maximize Subrogation Recoveries in 2007 and Beyond,” published in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Legal Affairs Bulletin, No. 974 (March 2007). In 1998, Mr. Stephens graduated cum laude from The University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Professional Studies, and in 2001, he earned his law degree from The University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. He and his wife, Allyson, have been married for 28 years, and they have five children: Lauren, Jack, Hudson, Charlie, and Kate.

Nancy A. Case is a seasoned insurance litigation trial attorney and partner at Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C. Her expertise lies in ERISA and non-ERISA subrogation, litigation, and the drafting of ERISA compliant sectors of employee benefits plans. Nancy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature and Communications from the University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, and furthered her education with a Juris Doctor from Chicago Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois. Before joining MWL, she practiced at the prestigious law firm of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. in Chicago, Illinois, where she focused on subrogation, including handling subrogation litigation for one of the largest multi-employer ERISA plans in Illinois. Nancy is licensed in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Washington State, holds membership in the Illinois Trial Bar, and is admitted to practice in numerous federal courts nationwide.

Stephen Smith is a partner at Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C., where he specializes in insurance litigation and subrogation. His expertise covers a broad spectrum of cases, including automobile, property, workers’ compensation, and product liability. Stephen holds licenses to practice across Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin and is admitted to all federal courts in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. Stephen's unique multi-state litigation and subrogation experience provides practical insights into the complexities of insurance litigation and the strategies that drive successful subrogation processes.