Michigan workers compensation lawyer explains why you need to support this bipartisan legislation and how you can help get H.R. 1982 passed.
U.S. Reps. Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) have introduced the Medicare Secondary Payer and Workers Compensation Settlement Agreement Act, H.R. 1982 into the House of Representatives. You can read the full press release here.
This is a common-sense measure to ensure that hard-working Americans are not left in limbo because of inefficient bureaucratic procedures, said Rep. Reichert. Injured workers must have the confidence that their heath care claims will be processed in a fair and timely manner. By introducing this bill, Rep. Thompson and I aim to do just that: protect our hard-working citizens by making sure our systems serve them and their families.
The last thing injured workers should have to worry about is if needless bureaucracy is going to prevent their medical bills from being paid, said Thompson. This bill will make sure hard working families medical claims are processed efficiently and quickly, it will reduce bureaucratic headaches for businesses, and it will save taxpayers money. I will continue working with Congressman Reichert to get this bipartisan bill signed into law.
Why you should support this bipartisan legislation
A person must consider Medicare’s interests anytime the medical portion of a workers compensation claim is settled. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) enforces this rule.
The CMS approval process for a WCMSA is burdensome and overly complicated. There are no appeal rights and administration can be a nightmare.
CMS does not take into consideration the disputed nature of a claim and injured workers get few assurances that their medical bills will be paid in the future.
Anecdotal evidence suggest that CMS is actually losing money enforcing this provision of the law because of wasteful and inefficient bureaucracy.
How you can help get H.R. 1982 passed
We encourage you to call and e-mail your representatives. Tell them it’s time to pass a Medicare secondary payer fix. Ask them to support H.R. 1982.
Call (855) 221-2667 for a free consultation with one of our workers compensation lawyers in Michigan. We will fight to make sure that you get all the medical treatment that you deserve.
– Alex Berman is the founder of Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers. Hes been representing injured and disabled workers exclusively for more than 35 years. Alex has helped countless people obtain workers compensation benefits and never charges a fee to evaluate a case.
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