Menu
  • About Us
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Attorneys
  • Practice Areas
    • Federal Grants
      • Services
      • Whom We Serve
      • Training
      • Grants Resource Center
      • Blog
    • Health Law
      • Services
      • Whom We Serve
      • Training
      • Health Law Resources
      • Blog
    • Family Law
      • Services
      • Whom We Serve
      • Process Choices
      • Testimonials
      • Blog
      • FAQ Videos
    • Litigation & Gov’t Investigations
      • Litigation
      • False Claims Act
      • Government Investigations
      • Internal Investigations
      • White Collar Defense
      • Blog
    • Government Contracts
      • Services
      • Representative Matters
      • Blog
  • News
    • Blogs
    • Federal Grants
    • Health Law
    • Family Law
    • False Claims Act
    • Government Contracts
    • Client Alerts
  • Training
  • Contact Us
  • COVID-19 Resource Center
    • Federal Grants & Health Law
    • Divorce & Family Law
  • Payment Portal
Susannah Vance Gopalan

Partner

202-466-8960
sgopalan@ftlf.com

“Given the complex interplay of federal and state law in the Medicaid program, effective counsel requires an understanding of how the pieces fit together.”

Susannah Vance Gopalan

A partner with the firm, Susannah Vance Gopalan focuses on health care litigation and regulatory counseling, with a distinct focus on Medicaid and Medicare payment, financing, and compliance issues.

Ms. Vance Gopalan brings regulatory expertise to bear when advising clients and pursuing litigation on their behalf. She has experience negotiating Medicaid waivers and managed care arrangements on behalf of providers, provider associations, and governmental entities. She represented a group of providers in reaching a settlement in major Medicaid litigation.

Ms. Vance Gopalan began her legal career as a clerk for the Hon. John M. Rogers of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She then practiced with a large Washington, DC law firm primarily in the areas of health care and federal-state programs. During this time, Ms. Vance Gopalan also provided pro bono legal services to asylum-seekers. This work subsequently led her to work at a national refugee resettlement agency managing a grant program providing legal representation to victims of torture in immigration detention.

Ms. Vance Gopalan understands her clients’ reliance on federal funds demands far more than a narrow legal understanding of specific programs; effective counsel requires a comprehensive understanding of the policy framework on which Medicaid and federal grant programs are founded. She is driven to apply her experience with these programs to resolve the complex issues faced by her clients.

Representative Matters

  • Advised a national association of health care providers concerning Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicaid, Medicare, and Exchange regulations.
  • Represented a group of ten health care providers in negotiating their role as patient-centered medical homes under a Medicaid waiver program.
  • Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of a group of eight health care providers in federal and state court litigation concerning Medicaid reimbursement.
  • Advised major urban governments on Medicaid financing issues, including localities’ role in Medicaid administrative claiming and financing of the nonfederal share.
  • Advised consortium of public health organizations on lobbying restrictions under federal grants administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Honors/Awards

  • Selected to the Washington, DC, Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list – Health Care Law (2014)

Published Works

  • Susannah Vance Gopalan, Harvey Tettlebaum, & Camille Lockhart, Strings Attached: Compliance for Long Term Care Facilities In Using Funds From the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund, AHLA’s Speaking of Health Law Podcast (June 2020)
  • Susannah Vance Gopalan, Dianne Pledgie & William E. “Bill” Hopkins, Compliance and Ethics Programs in Nursing Facilities: Overcoming Policy Uncertainty and Logistical Challenges to Build an Effective Program, AHLA Connections (March 2020)
  • Susannah Vance Gopalan, Co-Author, A Change in Federal Policy Allows Access to Preventive and Primary Health Care Services, Network for Public Health Law Blog (June 2015)
  • Susannah Vance Gopalan, Premium Assistance Programs in Medicaid: All Eyes on Upcoming CMS Waiver Decisions, Bloomberg BNA Health Care Policy Report (November 2013)
  • Susannah Vance Gopalan, Co-Author,, Medicaid Expansion is on the Way: Recent Regulatory and Policy Activities Impacting Your Health Center, Community Health Forum (Spring/Summer 2013)
  • Susannah Vance Gopalan, Co-Author, HHS Seeks to Delegate Key “Essential Benefits” Coverage Decision to States, Bloomberg Law Reports, Health Law Report (February 2012)
  • Susannah C. Vance, An Enduring Fear: Recent Limitations on the Past Persecution Ground for Asylum, 91 Ky. L. J. 957 (2003)

Past Employment

  • Congressional Research Service, Analyst in Health Care Financing (2016-2018)
  • Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Attorney for Access to Justice (2008-2010)
  • Covington & Burling LLP, Associate (2005-2008)

Speaking Engagements

Press Mentions:

COVID-19 Recent Changes to Telehealth Regulations and Reimbursement, April 29, 2020, by Thomas Sullivan

However, we also wanted to point out Attorney Susannah Vance Gopalan’s article on new CMS rules.

Untraditional Community Partnerships Will Become Part of CCBHC Process, March 14, 2016, By Valerie A. Canady

Many of the behavioral health organizations selected to become CCBHCs in October may not provide all nine of the services that will be required of them, said Susannah Vance Gopalan, a partner with Washington, D.C.-based Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP, and presenter of the session, “Becoming Best Friends: CCBHCs and Designated Collaborating Organization.”

Conferences:

  • Health Centers & Telehealth: Surmounting Regulatory and Operational Challenges, Co-presenter, National Association of Community Health Centers Financial, Operations, Management/IT Conference, October 2019
  • Cost Reporting for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, Co-presenter, National Council for Behavioral Health, NatCon Conference, March 2016
  • Becoming Best Friends: CCBHCs and Designated Collaborating Organizations, National Council for Behavioral Health, NatCon Conference, March 2016
  • Medicaid Managed Care and Public Health, Co-presenter with Sarah Somers of NHeLP, Public Health Law Conference, September 2016
  • CMS Update, National Association of Community Health Centers Community Health Institute, August 2014

Webinars:

  • Medicaid Managed Care Final Rule: Calculating Medical Loss Ratio, Complying with Network Adequacy Standards, and More, Co-presenter, Strafford, August 2016
  • Compliance Hotspots for CCBHCs, Webinar Series, National Council for Behavioral Health, January – March 2016
  • Medicaid and the Free Care Rule, Co-presenter, NHeLP, January 2016
  • Practical Realities of Managed Care, Co-presenter, NHeLP, January 2016
  • Legal Issues Affecting Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Centers, Co-presenter, American Health Lawyers Association, June 2015
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers, American Health Lawyers’ Association, June 2014
  • Tutorial – Federally Qualified Health Centers: The Critical Role of Safety Net Primary Care Providers in the Changing Healthcare Landscape, American Health Lawyers’ Association, April 2013
  • Complying with Anti-Lobbying Rules: What Federal Grantees Need to Know, ChangeLab Solutions, 2012

Introduction

A partner with the firm, Susannah Vance Gopalan focuses on health care litigation and regulatory counseling, with a distinct focus on Medicaid and Medicare payment, financing, and compliance issues.

Overview

Ms. Vance Gopalan brings regulatory expertise to bear when advising clients and pursuing litigation on their behalf. She has experience negotiating Medicaid waivers and managed care arrangements on behalf of providers, provider associations, and governmental entities. She represented a group of providers in reaching a settlement in major Medicaid litigation.

Ms. Vance Gopalan began her legal career as a clerk for the Hon. John M. Rogers of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She then practiced with a large Washington, DC law firm primarily in the areas of health care and federal-state programs. During this time, Ms. Vance Gopalan also provided pro bono legal services to asylum-seekers. This work subsequently led her to work at a national refugee resettlement agency managing a grant program providing legal representation to victims of torture in immigration detention.

Ms. Vance Gopalan understands her clients’ reliance on federal funds demands far more than a narrow legal understanding of specific programs; effective counsel requires a comprehensive understanding of the policy framework on which Medicaid and federal grant programs are founded. She is driven to apply her experience with these programs to resolve the complex issues faced by her clients.

Representative Matters

  • Advised a national association of health care providers concerning Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicaid, Medicare, and Exchange regulations.
  • Represented a group of ten health care providers in negotiating their role as patient-centered medical homes under a Medicaid waiver program.
  • Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of a group of eight health care providers in federal and state court litigation concerning Medicaid reimbursement.
  • Advised major urban governments on Medicaid financing issues, including localities’ role in Medicaid administrative claiming and financing of the nonfederal share.
  • Advised consortium of public health organizations on lobbying restrictions under federal grants administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Honors/Awards

  • Selected to the Washington, DC, Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list – Health Care Law (2014)

Published Works

  • Susannah Vance Gopalan, Harvey Tettlebaum, & Camille Lockhart, Strings Attached: Compliance for Long Term Care Facilities In Using Funds From the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund, AHLA’s Speaking of Health Law Podcast (June 2020)
  • Susannah Vance Gopalan, Dianne Pledgie & William E. “Bill” Hopkins, Compliance and Ethics Programs in Nursing Facilities: Overcoming Policy Uncertainty and Logistical Challenges to Build an Effective Program, AHLA Connections (March 2020)
  • Susannah Vance Gopalan, Co-Author, A Change in Federal Policy Allows Access to Preventive and Primary Health Care Services, Network for Public Health Law Blog (June 2015)
  • Susannah Vance Gopalan, Premium Assistance Programs in Medicaid: All Eyes on Upcoming CMS Waiver Decisions, Bloomberg BNA Health Care Policy Report (November 2013)
  • Susannah Vance Gopalan, Co-Author,, Medicaid Expansion is on the Way: Recent Regulatory and Policy Activities Impacting Your Health Center, Community Health Forum (Spring/Summer 2013)
  • Susannah Vance Gopalan, Co-Author, HHS Seeks to Delegate Key “Essential Benefits” Coverage Decision to States, Bloomberg Law Reports, Health Law Report (February 2012)
  • Susannah C. Vance, An Enduring Fear: Recent Limitations on the Past Persecution Ground for Asylum, 91 Ky. L. J. 957 (2003)

Past Employment

  • Congressional Research Service, Analyst in Health Care Financing (2016-2018)
  • Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Attorney for Access to Justice (2008-2010)
  • Covington & Burling LLP, Associate (2005-2008)

Speaking Engagements

Press Mentions:

COVID-19 Recent Changes to Telehealth Regulations and Reimbursement, April 29, 2020, by Thomas Sullivan

However, we also wanted to point out Attorney Susannah Vance Gopalan’s article on new CMS rules.

Untraditional Community Partnerships Will Become Part of CCBHC Process, March 14, 2016, By Valerie A. Canady

Many of the behavioral health organizations selected to become CCBHCs in October may not provide all nine of the services that will be required of them, said Susannah Vance Gopalan, a partner with Washington, D.C.-based Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP, and presenter of the session, “Becoming Best Friends: CCBHCs and Designated Collaborating Organization.”

Conferences:

  • Health Centers & Telehealth: Surmounting Regulatory and Operational Challenges, Co-presenter, National Association of Community Health Centers Financial, Operations, Management/IT Conference, October 2019
  • Cost Reporting for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, Co-presenter, National Council for Behavioral Health, NatCon Conference, March 2016
  • Becoming Best Friends: CCBHCs and Designated Collaborating Organizations, National Council for Behavioral Health, NatCon Conference, March 2016
  • Medicaid Managed Care and Public Health, Co-presenter with Sarah Somers of NHeLP, Public Health Law Conference, September 2016
  • CMS Update, National Association of Community Health Centers Community Health Institute, August 2014

Webinars:

  • Medicaid Managed Care Final Rule: Calculating Medical Loss Ratio, Complying with Network Adequacy Standards, and More, Co-presenter, Strafford, August 2016
  • Compliance Hotspots for CCBHCs, Webinar Series, National Council for Behavioral Health, January – March 2016
  • Medicaid and the Free Care Rule, Co-presenter, NHeLP, January 2016
  • Practical Realities of Managed Care, Co-presenter, NHeLP, January 2016
  • Legal Issues Affecting Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Centers, Co-presenter, American Health Lawyers Association, June 2015
  • Federally Qualified Health Centers, American Health Lawyers’ Association, June 2014
  • Tutorial – Federally Qualified Health Centers: The Critical Role of Safety Net Primary Care Providers in the Changing Healthcare Landscape, American Health Lawyers’ Association, April 2013
  • Complying with Anti-Lobbying Rules: What Federal Grantees Need to Know, ChangeLab Solutions, 2012

Practices

  • Federal Grants
  • Health Law
  • Litigation & Government Investigations

Education

  • J.D., University of Kentucky College of Law, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Kentucky Law Journal (2004)
  • M.I.A., Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, FLAS Fellowship (2000)
  • B.A., Columbia University, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, The Brunner Award (1996)

Clerkships

  • Law Clerk for the Honorable John M. Rogers, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2004-2005

Bar/Court Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • Kentucky
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Publications / Blog Posts

  • FTLF Partner Presents at Louisiana Primary Care Association’s 37th Annual Conference
    March 01, 2021
  • New COVID-19 Stimulus Relief Package Signed into Law
    January 05, 2021
  • Long Term Care Oversight During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lack of Compliance Could Lead to Loss of CARES Act Funding
    June 23, 2020
  • FTLF Partner Moderates AHLA Podcast on Long Term Care Facilities and the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund
    June 08, 2020
All Articles by this Attorney

Professional Memberships

  • American Health Law Association
  • American Health Law Association, Post Acute and Long Term Services Practice Group, Leadership Development Program (2019-2020)
  • D.C. Bar

Attorney Advertising Notice: Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. If you have any questions concerning attorney advertising rules, please contact: Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP | 1129 20th Street, NW, Suite 400 | Washington, DC 20036 T. 202. 466.8960 | F. 202. 293.8103

© 2021 Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP.