Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance Resource You Should Know About

As an executive committee member of the Larson’s National Workers’ Compensation Advisory Board, I’ve been given a sneak preview of an excellent new handbook on Medicare Secondary Payer compliance to be published by LexisNexis, and it's excellent.

The Complete Guide to Medicare Secondary Payer Compliance, Jennifer C. Jordan, Esq., Editor-in-Chief, is a one-of-a-kind resource, combining analysis and practice tips, statutes, public laws, regulations, case summaries with commentary, MMSEA Sec. 111 User Guide, CMS’ MSP manual and memos, Glossary and Acronyms, Life tables, and more, all in one handbook.

One of the key chapters in the book focuses on MMSEA Section 111 reporting requirements. Among other things the author provides helpful practice tips and insightful commentary along with an explanation of who is required to report and when reporting is necessary. (WCxKit)

Another key chapter in the book addresses the concept of a liability Medicare set-aside arrangement (“LMSA”) and explains how to assess adequately the need for an LMSA. The author takes a no-nonsense approach by dispelling preconceived notions about MSA’s in general before moving into the heart of the issue to help you understand why and when an LMSA might be needed.

This book is the only resource I know of that traces the development of case law pertaining to the MSP and MMSEA. Included with each case write up is commentary by Jennifer C. Jordan, the Editor-in-Chief, whose straight-talk is much appreciated when it comes to this illusive area of the law. One recent case that interested me in particular was Seger v. Tank Connection, the first known case in which a federal district court had an opportunity to evaluate MMSEA issues and ruled in the defendant employer’s favor to compel an injured employer to respond to interrogatories about his eligibility for Medicare.

If you want to take control of your insurance settlements, it’s imperative to understand “why CMS wants what it wants,” says the author. I believe this handbook will help both the novice and seasoned professional in their dealings with CMS and to realize that CMS’ preference is not always going to be the only way to achieve MSP compliance. (WCxKit)

For practitioners and consultants there are “practice points” and “special alerts” calling attention to potential pitfalls.

Pre-orders of the book. Click here to view the flyer and ordering information. According to the publisher, the books are scheduled to ship to customers in late October 2010.