When a Client Wants You to Appeal a Medicare Denial…

David Mullens, B.S., D.P.M., J.D. In 1966, after completing three years at Syracuse University, Dr. Mullens received early admission to the California College of Podiatric Medicine (CCPM) in San Francisco. Dr. Mullens received his B.S. degree in 1967 and received his DPM degree in 1970. He completed his residency at Jewish Memorial Hospital in New York (1970-1971) and at the Podiatry Hospital in San Francisco (1971-1972). He then did a post-doctoral fellowship in dermatology and vascular disease at Stanford University Hospital (1972-1973). Dr. Mullens started the podiatric surgical residency program at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Hospital in 1975 and established the podiatric surgical service at Stanford University Hospital in 1976.

He is a diplomate of the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, a fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, and has authored articles and book chapters on lower extremity problems. He has served as a Clinical Associate Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine and as a Professor with dual appointments in Basic Science and Podiatric Medicine at the California College of Podiatric Medicine. He was a community surgeon in the Orthopedic Department of Stanford University Hospital from 1976 through 2011. He served as chair of the Podiatric Medical Education Committee for the Podiatry School at Samuel Merritt University from 2007-2010 and served as chair of the California podiatry student scholarship fund from 2009 to 2015.

He earned his J.D. at Peninsula University Law School in 1997 and was an associate attorney with Alexander Hawes and Audet in San Jose, CA until 2004. He established his own law practice in Palo Alto in 2004 and represents health care providers regarding payment for services by Medicare and the for-profit insurance companies. To date, Dr. Mullens has successfully prosecuted the collection of thousands of CPT and HCPCS codes previously denied for payment by Medicare and the for-profit insurance companies.

David M. Godfrey, J.D., is a senior attorney to the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging in Washington DC. He is responsible for the ABA’s role in the Administration on Community Living funded National Center on Law and Elder Rights and for producing the ABA National Aging and Law Conference. David’s expertise includes supported decision making, advance care planning, health care decision making, legal service delivery, legal ethics, and LGBT aging. Prior to joining the Commission he was responsible for elder law programming at Access to Justice Foundation in Kentucky.

Mr. Godfrey earned his B.A. with honors at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, and his J.D. cum laude from the University Of Louisville School Of Law in Kentucky.