Starting January 5, 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin using the CDC’s “Table 1: Life Table for the total population: United States, 2015” for Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set Aside (WCMSA) life expectancy calculations. This means that for any WCMSA proposal received by CMS, or where any WCMSA case is reopened […] Continue
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently added an item to the Unified Agenda, which may have an impact on your claims. The Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory actions is a semiannual compilation of information about regulations under development by federal agencies published in the spring and fall. The item added […] Continue
In our last blog about structured settlements we reviewed the basics of what a structured settlement is and why you would want to structure a settlement. However, the benefits of structuring a settlement are best shown through real life examples. Below are three scenarios in which MEDVAL was able to provide creative settlement solutions utilizing […] Continue
Lyrica (pregabalin) is an analog of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutryic acid, or GABA. Within the brain and nervous system, GABA plays an important role in behavior, cognition and the body’s response to stressful situations. A deficiency in naturally-occurring levels of GABA has been linked to conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and various sleep disorders. While […] Continue
An updated Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside (WCMSA) reference guide has been issued. The revised guide, version 2.8, can be found here. The revised WCMSA reference guide includes the following updates: Fields formerly labeled as “HICN” have been relabeled as “Medicare ID” and can accept either an Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) or the new Medicare Beneficiary […] Continue
On May 31st, the FDA approved Kitov Pharma’s application for Consensi™. Consensi is a unique combination product containing amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker used for the treatment of hypertension, and celecoxib, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory used for the treatment of osteoarthritis. The product’s labeling will include a single indication for patients for whom treatment with amlodipine […] Continue
Another Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) case involving the well-known entities, MAO-MSO, Recovery II, LLC MSP Recovery, LLC and MSPA Claims 1, LLC (“Plaintiffs”) has arisen out of the Sixth Circuit.[1] (MAO-MSO Recovery II, LLC v. Progressive Corp., No. 1:17CV390, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 119046, (N.D. Ohio July 17, 2018). This recent opinion is issued in […] Continue
It has been nearly one year since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) first released a revised Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside (WCMSA) Reference Guide,[1] which addressed one of the lesser discussed topics in Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) compliance: professional administration. Specifically, the revised guide included the following statement: “[a]lthough beneficiaries may act as […] Continue
You may recall in 2014, Senators Portman and Nelson introduced a Senate Bill, “[t]o amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the application of Medicare secondary payer rules to certain workers’ compensation settlement agreements and qualified Medicare set-aside provisions.” However, the legislation failed and never made it out of the Committee on […] Continue
Last month, Arizona Governor, Doug Ducey signed Senate Bill 1100 (SB 1100), which is a modification to the legislation allowing for full and final settlements.[1] You may recall our initial blog on the ability to finally fully settle and close out a workers’ compensation claim in Arizona, under Senate Bill 1332 (SB 1332), as well […] Continue