As healthcare providers face increasing scrutiny from regulators, payors, and enforcement agencies, Poyner Spruill LLP is expanding its ability to help clients navigate complex reimbursement, compliance, and enforcement challenges with the addition of attorney Knicole Emanuel.
Emanuel brings more than 25 years of experience representing healthcare providers in regulatory, reimbursement, administrative, and litigation matters. Her practice focuses on helping providers respond when Medicare and Medicaid audits, payment disputes, investigations, reimbursement suspensions, alleged overpayments, compliance concerns, or licensing matters threaten their revenue, operations, or ability to continue serving patients.
Clients turn to Emanuel for guidance on matters involving False Claims Act allegations, Civil Investigative Demands, Anti-Kickback Statute concerns, provider contract terminations, professional licensure issues, healthcare fraud allegations, and improper billing claims. A seasoned advocate, Emanuel has argued thousands of healthcare-related administrative cases across more than 40 states and has appeared before numerous state medical and professional licensing boards.
She has also secured federal injunctions and other relief for providers facing reimbursement suspensions, fraud allegations, billing disputes, and contract terminations, helping clients protect their operations while disputes are resolved.
“Healthcare providers are operating in an increasingly complex environment where audit activity, reimbursement disputes, and enforcement actions can have significant business and operational consequences,” said Managing Partner Chad Essick. “Knicole brings deep experience helping providers navigate those high-stakes situations. Her addition strengthens our ability to support healthcare clients when regulatory and reimbursement issues threaten their operations.”
In addition to her legal practice, Emanuel is a frequent speaker on healthcare law, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, regulatory compliance, and enforcement developments affecting healthcare providers. She is also a weekly panelist on RACmonitor’s Monitor Monday podcast, where she provides analysis and commentary on Medicare and Medicaid audits and enforcement trends.
Emanuel is based in Poyner Spruill’s Raleigh office. She will work with attorneys across the firm’s healthcare, litigation, business, employment, and regulatory practices to help providers manage risk, respond to government inquiries, and address disputes involving reimbursement, compliance, and operations.
