J.D. Epstein '67, a partner and co-head of the Health Law Section
of Vinson & Elkins LLP, was listed as one of the 12 outstanding
hospital lawyers in the U.S. by Nightingales Healthcare News in 2003.
Since the early 1970s, he has concentrated his practice on health issues
and has represented numerous hospitals, nursing homes, home health
agencies, HMOs, group practices, medical staffs and non-health care
industry corporations with health care benefit concerns. In addition,
he is an adjunct professor teaching health care finance at the
University of Houston Law Center, and is a member of the Health Law
and Policy Institute's Advisory Board.
"Blue Cross Association was looking for a lawyer with an accounting
background to figure out how to work with the fairly new Medicare program,
and I was hired as an Interpretation and Development Specialist," he recalled.
After working in management for a couple of years, Epstein became
Assistant General Counsel at Blue Cross, responsible for Medicare/Medicaid
programs. In 1974, he moved to Texas and started the firm of Wood,
Lucksinger, and Epstein, which he described as a healthcare boutique
firm in the early days of healthcare law. After years of considerable
growth there, he left to start the healthcare practice at Vinson & Elkins,
which is also considered the world's top energy law firm.
Epstein has made the list of The Best Lawyers in America in healthcare
law for over 10 years. He served on the Board of the American Health
Lawyers Association for 10 years and was its president in 1987. He is
the author of numerous articles on subjects ranging from fraud and
abuse to capital financings.
