Hilary Velandia
Overview
Hilary Velandia helps health care providers and others in the health care space navigate complex regulatory, operational, contractual, and dispute-related laws so they can remain compliant, manage risk, and focus on developing and delivering quality products, patient care, and other services.
For more than 15 years, Hilary has represented a broad range of health care organizations, including hospitals, managed care organizations, pharmacies, Pharmacy Services Administrative Organizations (PSAOs), Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), ambulatory surgery centers, nursing facilities, hospice providers, behavioral health providers, home health agencies, and physician groups. Clients rely on her practical guidance in addressing the legal and regulatory challenges facing today’s health care industry.
A significant portion of Hilary’s practice focuses on regulatory compliance, government investigations, contracting, privacy law, and health care disputes. She assists clients with False Claims Act (FCA) investigations, agency appeals, licensing matters, overpayment appeals, civil investigative demands, self-disclosures, payor-provider disputes, contract disputes, litigation, arbitration, and contracting. Her experience helps clients navigate complex regulatory frameworks while minimizing operational disruption.
Hilary also counsels health care providers on day-to-day operational and compliance issues, including medical staff issues, payor-provider agreements, Conditions of Participation, Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), HIPAA, fraud and abuse laws, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and the Stark Law. By combining regulatory, litigation, and transactional experience, she provides comprehensive guidance tailored to the evolving needs of health care organizations.
A recognized leader in the health care legal community, Hilary is a former president of both the Oklahoma Bar Association Health Law Section and the Oklahoma Health Lawyers Association. She is also fluent in Spanish and provides pro bono legal services to members of the Spanish-speaking community.
Credentials
Education
- University of Kansas School of Law, 2007 (J.D.)
- University of Kansas, 2001 (B.A.)
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma
- U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas
- Assists various types of health care providers in response to investigations of alleged violations under the False Claims Act, including investigations by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
- Represents health care providers and managed care entities in payment disputes, including arbitration of payment disputes.
- Represents PBMs navigating nationwide state licensing.
- Represents PSAOs in various disputes with PBMs.
- Manages contract disputes and litigation between various health care providers and others in the health care space, including hospitals, managed care organizations, Community Mental Health Clinics, and PSAOs.
- Assists with antitrust compliance for Physician-Hospital Organizations and other networks of providers related to negotiation with payors.
- Ensures mental health and other providers comply with HIPAA and other privacy laws, including responding to subpoenas for documents, medical records, depositions, and testimony from private and government parties.
- Represents hospitals, hospital medical staff, managed care entities, and physicians regarding credentialing, peer review actions, and NPDB reporting issues.
- Drafts provider and group contracts for managed care entities.
- Drafts medical staff bylaws and rules and regulations for hospital medical staff.
- Drafts and litigates disputes on behalf of both physicians and health systems relating to physicians’ contracts with hospitals and other health care entities.
- Chambers USA, Health Care, Associate to Watch, 2016-2017; Up and Coming, 2019-2022; Band 3, 2023-2026
- Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2026
- Coalition of Hispanic Organizations, Gracias Award, 2019
- President’s Volunteer Service Award, Silver Level, 2009
- Oklahoma Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Health Care, 2015-2017
- American Health Law Association
- American Bar Association, Health Law Section
- Oklahoma Bar Association, Health Law Section, President, 2021-2022
- Oklahoma Health Lawyers Association, President, 2011-2012
- Kansas Bar Association, Health Law Section
- Florida Bar Association, Health Law Section
- Tulsa County Bar Association, Health Law Section
- Leading Age, Legal Committee, 2023-present
- “Health Care Practical Law Guide: Non-Physician Practitioners in Oklahoma,” Thomson Reuters Practical Law, July 2023
- “Year in Review: Medical Staff, Credentialing, and Peer Review,” American Health Law Association, Year in Review Credentialing & Peer Review Topic Team, 2021-2026
- “Do the PPACA Amendments to Stark Whole Hospital Exception Mean the Evolution of a Two-Tier System?” Journal of Health & Life Sciences Law, Volume 4, 2010