Walter J. Unger is a veteran consultant to healthcare providers, manufacturers, law firms, and others in the areas of finance, reimbursement, marketing, strategic planning, and litigation support.   He specializes in cardiovascular services, musculoskeletal and oncology services as well as clinical laboratory services, integrated delivery systems, managed-care organizations, and Medicare prepaid health plans.

Prior to launching his consulting practice in 1985, he spent more than a decade in Washington, D.C. serving the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).  The IOM provides advice on public health matters to the United States Congress and the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, and HFMA represents chief financial officers, accountants, attorneys, consultants and investment bankers who work in the healthcare field.

He graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1969 with a master's degree in business administration (MBA) and in 1967 with a bachelor's degree cum laude in finance. He has devoted his entire professional career to the healthcare field.

During his 41-year career, he has published more than 40 articles on aspects of healthcare finance, organization, and delivery. He is the co-editor of two books published by HFMA — one on long-term care and the other on capital management. In addition, he has written five major reports:

• The Academic Medical Center and the Teaching Hospital Marketplace was published by Biomedical Business International (BBI) in 1987.
• Payment of Hospital Cardiac Services was published by the American Hospital Association (AHA) in 1991.
• Medical Data International (MDI) published two of his reports on Medicare Reimbursement Trends and Outlook - the first in 1991 on the cardiology and cardiovascular surgery marketplace, and the second in 1992 on the implications of PPS and RBRVS on U.S. medical and surgical markets.
• In December 1993, MDI published his Practical Guide to Obtaining Third-party Coverage and Reimbursement for Medical Technologies.
• In December 1996, MDI published his two-volume report on Managed Care, Medicare and Third-Party Payers. These reports were substantially updated and re-released in December 1998.

During the past three decades, Mr. Unger has been an invited speaker on the politics and economics of healthcare services at more than 150 national and regional healthcare meetings.