Overview

For more than a decade, health care clients have turned to attorney David Johnston for creative, practical solutions to their legal problems. David regularly counsels clients on a wide range of reimbursement issues, including Medicare cost report issues and appeals and provider-based compliance and opportunities.

He also guides clients on all aspects of 340B drug program compliance and management, pharmacy compliance and operations, provider and supplier enrollment and enforcement issues and appeals, change of ownership transactions and implementation, and long-term care transactions and certificates of need.

His clients include hospitals, health systems, pharmacies, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Rural Health Centers, long-term care providers, and numerous other types of health care facilities. In addition, home health and behavioral health providers and durable medical equipment companies seek David’s advice on optimizing their compliance and operations.

Focus Areas

Experience

  • Represented a home health agency in its successful appeal of post-Medicare change of ownership request for anticipated payment (RAP) suspension imposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which was worth $15 million to the agency.
  • Represented a health system in its sale of a skilled nursing facility to the management firm of the nursing facility. David formulated potential structures, drafted and negotiated various agreements, and implemented each agreement’s operation. The sale involved a bed purchase agreement, Medicare change of ownership, certificate of need, and comprehensive facility and operating lease, as well as several regulatory filings.
  • Provided 24/7 support to a health system responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, advising it on federal and state regulations, including waivers issued as a result of the public health emergency declaration. David also advised on staffing, compensation, quality, and patient care issues, as well as expanding telehealth abilities and related reimbursement issues. Additionally, he counseled the health system on vaccination rollout and reimbursement issues.
  • Currently represents a variety of behavioral health providers in state licensure matters as well as general operational and compliance matters.
  • Drafted and negotiated a pharmacy services agreement and 340B contract pharmacy agreements on behalf of a hospital system with national pharmacy providers.
  • Managed and successfully negotiated multiple self-disclosures by 340B covered entities to multiple drug manufacturers and the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA).
  • Currently represents large teaching hospitals and other non-teaching hospitals on Medicare reimbursement matters and cost report appeals, which include appeals of administrative agency decisions and various court appearances.
  • Served as lead counsel in the acquisition of a nonprofit health system by a health corporation, negotiating the transaction, drafting all corporate documents, conducting due diligence review, and completing all regulatory filings.
  • Prepared successful provider-based and mid-build attestations for a hospital system regarding an off-campus, provider-based department, and counseled the client through the process.
  • Currently represents hospitals and health systems in provider-based, space-sharing, and co-location compliance issues and Medicare Administrative Contractor repayments.

Recognition

  • Ohio Rising Stars, Heath Care (2009 to 2010, 2012 to 2013, 2019)
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America©, Health Care Law (2024 to 2025)

Credentials

Education

  • University of Texas School of Law (J.D., with honors, 2006)
    • Associate Articles Editor, Texas Journal of Business Law
  • Davidson College (B.A., magna cum laude, 2001)
    • Phi Beta Kappa

Bar Admissions

Court Admissions

Professional & Community Involvement

  • American Health Law Association
  • Columbus Bar Association
  • Healthcare Finance and Management Association, Central Ohio Chapter
  • Society of Ohio Healthcare Attorneys

Media

Events

Insights

Jump to Page

Privacy Preference Center

When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Performance Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.