Ashley Wheelock

Ashley Wheelock is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group in the firm's Houston office. 

Areas of Practice

Ashley advises providers, payors, and other healthcare industry companies on federal and state healthcare regulations and in complex healthcare corporate transactions. She offers extensive experience in regulatory compliance, operational matters, and new developments in healthcare.

Ashley concentrates her practice on healthcare regulatory and transactional matters on a national basis. She counsels healthcare entities on a wide array of federal healthcare laws and regulations, including the Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark Law, Civil Monetary Penalty rules regarding beneficiary inducement, CMS Conditions of Participation, Medicare and Medicaid audits and overpayments, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance.

Ashley also advises clients on state regulatory issues, including the corporate practice of medicine doctrine, fee splitting, scope of practice considerations, facility and practitioner licensing, data privacy, and telemedicine and telehealth.

Ashley regularly represents investors or sellers in mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and other arrangements. Her experience includes overseeing all aspects of a transaction, including pre-closing diligence matters, change of ownership (CHOW) licensing analyses and other regulatory filings, Medicare and Medicaid enrollment issues, and post-closing day-to-day operational considerations.

Ashley’s practice is on the cutting edge of developments in healthcare. She has created and negotiated value-based contracting and risk sharing agreements for an array of healthcare payor and provider clients. In addition, Ashley has guided healthcare companies in the development and implementation of novel care models in multiple markets.

Ashley’s provider clients include assisted living facilities, behavioral health, durable medical equipment suppliers, health systems, hospitals, home health agencies, hospice agencies, intermediate care facilities, laboratories, medical spas, nursing homes, pharmacies, physicians, and mid-level practitioners.

Articles

• Co-author, “2022 HIPAA Enforcement Update – OCR Continues Focus on Rights of Access,” February 3, 2023
• Author, “Patients’ Right of Access Remains an Important Issue for HIPAA Compliance,” Summer 2021
• Co-author, “2021 HIPAA Enforcement Update – OCR Focus on Rights of Access Continues,” May 13, 2021
• Co-author, “New CMS Waivers Intended to Help U.S. Healthcare System Address COVID-19 Pandemic,” March 31, 2020
• Co-author, “Medicare Providers and Suppliers to Receive Emergency Funding through Expanded CMS Accelerated and Advance Payment Program,” March 30, 2020
• Co-author, “Healthcare Highlights in the Federal CARES Act,” March 30, 2020
• Co-author, “Texas Medical Board’s Response to COVID-19,” March 27, 2020

Memberships

Member, American Health Lawyers Association

Member, Louisiana State Bar Association Health Law Section

Member, State Bar of Texas Health Law Section

Member, American Bar Association Health Law Section

• Vice chair, Distance Learning Committee (2024-present)
• Vice chair, Marketing and Technology Committee (2021-2023)

English teacher, Institut Jazykového Vzdělávání (Prague, Czech Republic)