Read about the PAID Act, now law, in an article co-authored by Synergy’s CEO, Jason Lazarus.  The PAID Act helps resolve the hidden lien problem with Medicare Advantage Plans (MAOs – Part C). You can read the article, featured by NAMSAP here.

February 23, 2021 Rasa Fumagalli, JD, MSCC, CMSP-F The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) agency has made significant improvements over the years in their online self-service tools for Medicare beneficiaries, their representatives, insurers, and recovery agents. Beneficiaries may obtain detailed information regarding their claims by registering on the MyMedicare.gov website. If the beneficiary…

February 2, 2021 Synergy handles Hospital Lien disputes nationally on behalf of Trial Lawyers and their injured clients. Synergy’s Michael Walrath, Esq., as the nation’s leading authority on the nuances of state-specific hospital lien law and the facts underlying the “reasonable value” of hospital care, was tapped to assist investigative reporter Jessica Silver-Greenberg in her…

September 22, 2020   I’m excited to announce that my new book, The Art of Settlement, officially launches today. What is The Art of Settlement? The regulatory landscape of the personal injury lawyer has become exceedingly complicated.  Assisting clients with catastrophic disabilities now exposes you personally to government recovery actions, damages, and malpractice risks. It’s vital that your personal…

July 1, 2020 By Jason D. Lazarus, J.D., LL.M., MSCC, CSSC Late in the fall of 2018, the Office of Management and Budget issued a notification from the Department of Health and Human Services which oversees CMS of a proposed rule related to the Medicare Secondary Payer Act (MSP).  The abstract of the rule says…

If you take nothing else from this, when you refer a case to another firm you need to make sure you have 3 things:  1) A written fee agreement; 2) A copy of the lawyer’s malpractice insurance policy declarations and 3) Proof that the lawyer has engaged Synergy to resolve Medicare Conditional Payment obligations.  The…

March 24, 2020 Now, more than ever, proper settlement planning is critical for disabled clients.  Protecting their recovery should be top of mind and a high priority given the turbulence in our global markets.  There are always going to be ups and downs in the financial markets.  The real estate market has crashed.  The tech…

January 17, 2020 In Publix Super Markets, Inc. v. Figareau et. al., Case No. 8:19-cv-545, 2019 WL 6311160 (M.D. Fla. Nov. 25, 2019), the Court permitted an ERISA self-funded health plan’s equitable lien claim to attach to the plaintiff attorney. This case is further evidence that using Synergy Settlement’s Lien Resolution service can be essential to…

As 2019 comes to an end, we are providing a complimentary recap of the important topics we have covered including Medicare Compliance, Lien Resolution, Settlement Consulting and Government Benefit Preservation, Structured Settlements, Trust Services, and Tax Deferral of Fees.  To learn more about any of these topics, use the links that correspond to the topics…

As 2018 comes to an end, we are providing a complimentary recap of the important topics we have covered including Medicare Compliance, Lien Resolution, Settlement Consulting and Government Benefit Preservation, Structured Settlements, Trust Services, and Tax Deferral of Fees.  To learn more about any of these topics, use the links that correspond to the topics…

By B. Josh Pettingill Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a “CMS Manual System” “One-Time Notification” regarding Liability Medicare Set Asides and enforcement of the Medicare Secondary Payer statute (MSP). Starting October 1, 2017, Medicare and their contractors will reject medical claims submitted post-resolution of a liability settlement on the…

CMS Announcement June 8, 2016 – Consideration for Expansion of Medicare Set-Aside Arrangements (MSA) “The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is considering expanding its voluntary Medicare Set-Aside Arrangements (MSA) amount review process to include the review of proposed liability insurance (including self-insurance) and no-fault insurance MSA amounts. CMS plans to work closely with…

In Allena Burge Smiley v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, et. al, No. 15-10056 (11th Cir. 2015), the Eleventh Circuit reiterated what Synergy regularly advises clients to do regarding the statutory document request pursuant to 29 U.S.C. 1024(b)(4) – send it to the right place! The first step in properly defending against an asserted…

The Supreme Court issued its ruling in John Joerg, Jr., etc. et. al. v. State Farm Mutual Insurance Company on October 15, 2015. The opinion is exceedingly important as it reinforces application of the collateral sources rule to bar evidence of future Medicare benefits which may be potentially received by the plaintiff.

This is a tragic case involving a Medicare beneficiary who was near fatally wounded in a horrific home invasion. The beneficiary was shot multiple times during a home invasion that claimed the life of her daughter. Though surviving the attack, the plaintiff incurred massive medical bills resulting in Medicare issuing a Final Demand for repayment…