LEON E. "Ed" LeBRETON
CEO - The Lancaster Group, LLC
Ed is the Chief Executive Officer of The Lancaster Group, LLC and brings more than 20 years of experience in the senior housing and long term care profession, as a chief financial officer and as a consultant. Prior to forming The Lancaster Group Ed's consulting experience was gained through more than nine years in the "Big 4" environment.

His extensive and in-depth knowledge is concentrated in performance improvement and business planning, third-party reimbursement (including billing and cost reporting), litigation support (including designation as an expert witness for trial testimony and writing expert reports) and regulatory compliance and which includes all aspects of cost reporting. He also develops financial models designed to meet specific client requirements including, but not limited to financial forecasting and addressing Medicare SNF PPS and Medicaid case mix to enhance compliance with third party reimbursement regulations and to provide analytical support. Ed performs operational and staffing analysis of various post acute care providers. Aspects of his advisory experience include:

Relevant Experience

• Evaluating the performance of skilled nursing facilities and retirement communities for purposes of identifying opportunities for financial performance improvement.
• Assisting HUD 202 senior housing providers with budgeting, financial reporting and performance improvement.
• Approved by CHEFA to perform consulting services for senior housing and long term care providers in violation of debt covenants.
• Strategic planning services to not-for-profit and for-profit freestanding and multi-site senior housing and long term care providers.
• Assisting providers with the financial modeling of development/acquisition opportunities.
• Assisting lenders, investors and owners in the due diligence of the purchase/sale and merger of healthcare entities.
• Assisted HUD 202 and low income senior housing providers with the refinancing of the outstanding indebtedness, including tax credit refinancing.
• Acted in the capacity of a Fee Examiner (Department of Justice approved) in a federal healthcare facility bankruptcy matter.
• Approved by the State of Connecticut Medicaid Program to provide corporate integrity monitoring services.
• Assisting SNF providers in third party ancillary (including rehabilitative therapy) dispute resolution, including calculation of Prospective Payment System contract therapy rates.
• Operational and financial analysis regarding Medicare SNF PPS and consolidated billing issues including regulatory compliance.
• Performing Medicare and Medicaid billing training to healthcare providers.
• Assisting healthcare providers with the submission of Medicare and Medicaid claims.
• Preparation of Medicare and Medicaid cost reports for nursing facility chains (including the home office), hospital-based and freestanding nursing facilities, hospitals and home health agencies.
• Assistance in the Medicare and Medicaid provider application process and education on the Medicare and Medicaid billing systems.
• Assisting clients in the appeal of audit adjustments to cost reports.
• Preparing related party analyses and requests for exception to the Medicare related party principles.
• Assisted plaintiffs in settlement negotiations against defendant healthcare facility.
• Presentations to providers and provider organizations addressing various due diligence and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement issues.
• Assisting healthcare providers entering or in bankruptcy in various accounting, reimbursement and other operational and regulatory matters.
• Assisting healthcare providers with the defense against allegations of cost report and billing fraud.
• Assisting clients with the negotiation of favorable financing terms.
• Serving in the capacity of expert witness in the defense against liability matters, including trial testimony.

Ed services both freestanding and multi-site not-for-profit and for-profit senior housing and long term care providers. Not-for-profit clients include faith-based senior housing and long term care systems and hospital systems that maintain senior housing and long term components of their systems. For-profit clients include freestanding and multi-site providers, both privately owned and publicly traded.

Background
Ed received Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Finance from the University of Delaware. Ed is a Department of Justice-approved Examiner, eligible for Federal Bankruptcy testimony and independent evaluation.

Speeches and Writing Engagements
Ed has participated as an instructor/speaker on topics such as Medicare SNF PPS and Consolidated Billing and Mergers and Acquisitions Due Diligence at various seminars and conventions for associations such as the American Health Care Association (AHCA), American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA), Gulf States Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (Gulf States AHSA), Louisiana Nursing Home Association (LNHA), Pennsylvania Association of Non-Profit Homes for the Aging (PANPHA), the Pennsylvania Health Care Association (PHCA), the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), the New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (NYAHSA), the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and various Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) meetings. Ed is a contributing writer to the Gulf States AHSA monthly newsletter. Additionally, Ed has testified before a select committee of the Louisiana Senate on that state's Medicaid reimbursement system.

Other
Ed is a certified public accountant licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, American Health Lawyers Association, Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Ed volunteers for St. Leo the Great School and supports various charitable organizations.

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