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Saturday, May 18, 2013
NJ Court Approves Medicare Set-Aside Agreement Lacking CMS Review
"The court has thoroughly reviewed the sworn testimony of plaintiffs' expert regarding the proposed set-aside amounts for future medical expenses relating to the
underlying accidents/incidents, which would otherwise be covered or reimbursable
by Medicare. The court finds that the proposed set-aside amount in each case
fairly takes Medicare's interests into account in that the figures are both reasonable and reliable. Therefore, the court is satisfied that Medicare's interests
have been adequately protected pursuant to the MSP. Plaintiffs shall set aside the
proposed sums in self-administered interest-bearing accounts to be used solely for
the purpose of satisfying future medical expenses related to the underlying accidents/incidents."
DUHAMELL, Plaintiff v. RENAL CARE GROUP EAST, INC., RCG Southern New Jersey, LLC, Philadelphia Suburban Development Corporation, Defendants. Catherine A. Ney, Plaintiff, et al,, --- A.3d ----, 2013 WL 2102701 (N.J.Super.A.D.) Decided Dec. 7, 2012. May 16, 2013.
Friday, May 2, 2025
Medicare Set-Aside Shake Up Ahead?
Awaiting a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, Federal Communications Commission v. Consumers' Research is poised to potentially redefine federal administrative agencies' authority scope. This shift could flow into various regulatory processes, including the Workers' Compensation Medicare Set Aside Agreements (WCMSAs) adjudication.
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Podcast: Medicare Set-Aside Agreements after the Loper Bright Decision
My recent post about the US Supreme Court's decision in the Loper Bright case and its impact on Medicare Set-Aside Agreements has received considerable interest. To expand the discussion further among all workers' compensation community stakeholders, we have generated a free podcast on this topic.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
CMS Sets Telephone Conference Call to Discuss Workers' Compensation Medicare Set-aside Portal
Call in time: 1pm to 3pm
Call In Line: 1-(800) 603-1774
*Conference ID: 29840615
Related articles
- Workers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal (WCMSAP) (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- That Used to Be Comp (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- The Setoff Nightmare: The Pension Well Runs Dry (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- The Debt Ceiling and Workers Compensation (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- It is All The Same Apple (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- The Complex World of Workers' Compensation and Pharmaceutical Benefits (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Workers' Compensation Medicare Set-aside Portal (WCMSAP)
This site provides an interface for entry of Workers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Arrangements (WCMSA) proposals. Attorneys, Medicare beneficiaries, claimants, insurance carriers and WCMSA vendors may use this site to enter the case information directly. The site also provides attorneys, Medicare beneficiaries, claimants, insurance carriers, and WCMSA vendors with the ability to track their submitted cases and the statuses without inquiry to the Coordination of Benefits Contractor (COBC) or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Related articles
- US Supreme Court Maybe Asked to Rule on CMS Issue: "The Doctrine of Equitable Allocation" (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- The Setoff Nightmare: The Pension Well Runs Dry (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- That Used to Be Comp (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Fallout From The Failure of Super Committee May Cascade Into Workers Compensation Medical Delivery (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- It is Time To Do The Right Thing (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Gingrich: Workers' Compensation is History (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Monday, August 8, 2011
Workers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Web Portal (WCMSAP) Webinar
Please read below an invitation to Submitters to attend a CMS Workers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Web Portal (WCMSAP) Webinar.
WCMSAP Submitters Webinar - August 10, 2011
Event Description: This Webinar will review the Workers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal (WCMSAP), a new web-based application that allows for the electronic submission and tracking of WCMSA proposals submitted to CMS for review. This Webinar will also review the current WCMSA proposal submission process, the new submission process on the WCMSAP and the WCMSAP screens that will be used to enter and submit a proposal.
Enrollment Information: To receive your Webinar access information simply send an email to Techi@nhassociates.net and include the following information. To ensure that you receive webinar access information, future notifications and announcements regarding the Webinar, please add this e-mail address (Techi@nhassociates.net) to your "Safe Sender" list in your e-mail client.
Note: Due to limited seating we will need to hold attendance to an 85 user maximum. So please reserve
your seat as soon as possible, we apologize for any inconvenience.
Information Required for WCMSAP Webinar Registration:
Name (first and last):
Email Address:
Company Name:
Tel. Number:
Receipt of invitation which reserves space in Outlook Calendar (i.e. an iCal) (Yes/No):
Related articles
- Workers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal (WCMSAP) (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- The Setoff Nightmare: The Pension Well Runs Dry (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- That Used to Be Comp (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- The Debt Ceiling and Workers Compensation (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- CMS Announces Review is Only a Recommended Process for Set-Aside Agreements (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Thursday, September 10, 2009
CMS Lists How to Avoid 10 Top WCMSA Errors
1. No medical records for the last two years of treatment
2. Claims payment history missing or undated
3. Response to development requests incomplete
4. Calculation method stated as fee schedule when state does not have a fee schedule
5. Calculation method not stated for the medical set-aside
6. Total settlement amount missing or unclear
7. No rated age statement from submitter confirming that all rated ages obtained on the claimant have been included
8. Payout amount not used in annuity situations
9. Proposed medical set-aside amount is missing, unclear, or inconsistent with other information
10. Proposed prescription drug set-aside amount is missing, unclear, or inconsistent with other information
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Court Permits Deduction of Procurement Costs From Medicare Set-Aside in Liability Claim
"This court's decision to apply 42 C.F.R. § 411.37 to funds obtained in a civil action and placed in a Medicare set aside is also in line with general principles of equity. Where a plaintiff is, or will within a short time become, a Medicare recipient, the plaintiff's attorney also works on behalf of Medicare to secure funds to pay future medical expenses Medicare would otherwise pay. To allow Medicare to avoid paying an equitable share of the procurement fees for a judgment or settlement amount, forcing the plaintiff to cover all the fees, would be unfair to plaintiffs. In some situations, a plaintiff may end up getting nothing after creating the set aside and paying attorneys' fees or may even have to pay money out of pocket to his attorney after a lengthy trial. Such a result would not only be inequitable, it would deter persons on Medicare who are injured by the tortious acts of others from bringing claims."
Hinsinger v. Showboat Atlantic City, L-3460-07, 2011 WL 1885980 (NJ Super Law Division 2011), decided May 19, 2011.
For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.
Related articles
- Federal Court Enjoins CMS From MSP Recovery Procedures (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Industry Coalition Wants to Cut CMS Conditional Payments (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Common Themes, The Green Mountain System & Newt Gingrich (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Workers Compensation Act Does Not Bar A Negligence Action Against A General Partner (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Illinois Workers Compensation - It is time for a "Do Not Resuscitate" Order (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Friday, July 8, 2011
Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Portal (WCMSAP)
• Submit WCMSA cases
• Perform case lookups
• Append documentation to a case
Related articles
- CMS Announces Review is Only a Recommended Process for Set-Aside Agreements (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Injured Worker Sues Insurance Company for Malicious Prosecution (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- CMS Recovery Contractor Publishes New Rights and Responsibilities Letter (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Employers Prohibited From Seeking Reimbursement From a Public Entity (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Congress Told CMS Must Continue to Stop Work Comp Cost Shifting (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Friday, March 29, 2013
CMS Publishes Brand New Reference Guide for Medicare Set-Aside Arrangements
Sunday, February 23, 2025
DOGE and Medicare Set Aside Agreements
This is the first in a series of posts concerning the potential impact of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on the nation's patchwork of workers' compensation systems.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Proposed Medicare Payment Reductions Will Impact Workers' Compensation Costs
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) releases its June 2013 Report to the Congress:
Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System.
According to Commission Chair Glenn Hackbarth, “This report can inform a dialogue about future
directions for the Medicare program, as well as about technical refinements to existing Medicare
payment policy. Whether broad or narrow, the Commission’s work aims to balance the interests of
Medicare beneficiaries, health care providers, and tax payers.”
Redesigning the Medicare benefit. In the report, the Commission continues its discussion of
possible ways to redesign the Medicare benefit by focusing on the concept we refer to as competitively
determined plan contributions (CPC). Under CPC, Medicare beneficiaries could receive care through
either a private plan or traditional fee-for-service (FFS), but the premium paid by the beneficiary might
vary depending on the coverage option they choose. How much the federal government pays for a
beneficiary’s care would be determined through a competitive process comparing the costs of available
options for coverage. The report identifies key issues to be addressed if the Congress wishes to pursue a
policy option like CPC. These include how benefits could be standardized for comparability, how to
calculate the Medicare contribution, the role FFS, and the structure of subsidies for low-income
beneficiaries.
Reducing Medicare payment differences across sites of care. Medicare’s payment rates often
vary for similar services provided to similar patients, simply because they are provided in different sites of
care. For example, Medicare pays 141 percent more for one type of echocardiogram when done in a
hospital outpatient department than when it is done in a freestanding physician’s office. If Medicare pays a
higher rate for a service in one setting over another, program spending increases and beneficiaries pay
more in cost sharing without a corresponding increase in quality of care.
The Commission previously recommended reducing the rate Medicare pays for basic office visits from the
payment rate in the outpatient setting to the physician office rate. Using similar criteria, this report identifies
additional services that may be eligible for equalizing or narrowing payment differences across settings.
Bundling post-acute care services. Each year, about one-quarter of Medicare beneficiaries receive
care following a hospitalization from a post-acute care provider, such as a skilled nursing facility, home
health agency, or inpatient rehabilitation facility. However, nationwide the use of these services varies
widely, for reasons not explained by differences in beneficiaries’ health status. Under traditional
Medicare, the program pays widely varying rates for different settings and—characteristic of FFS—pays
based on the volume of care provided, without regard to quality or resource use.
Medicare has begun to explore the possibility of bundling services as a way to encourage providers to
coordinate and furnish needed care more efficiently. In this report, the Commission explores the
implications for quality and program spending for different design features of the bundles, such as the
services included, the length of time covered by the bundle, and the method of payment.
Reducing hospital readmissions. In 2008, the Commission recommended a hospital readmissions
reduction program to improve patient experience and reduce Medicare spending. In 2012, Medicare
began such a program, penalizing hospitals that have high rates of Medicare beneficiaries being
readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. The readmission penalty has given hospitals a
strong incentive to improve care coordination across providers, and for that reason Medicare should
continue to implement the policy. In this report, the Commission suggests further refinements to
improve incentives for hospitals and generate program savings through reduced readmissions rather than
higher penalties.
Payments for hospice services. The Medicare hospice benefit provides beneficiaries an important
option for end-of-life care. At the same time, the Commission has identified several problems in the way
Medicare pays for hospices that may lead to inappropriate use of the benefit. The report presents
information on the prevalence of long-stay patients and the use of hospice services among nursing home
patients—both of which may inform policy development in the hospice payment system in the future. It
also presents further evidence to support the Commission’s March 2009 recommendations to revise the
hospice payment system.
Improving care for dual-eligible beneficiaries. Beneficiaries eligible for both Medicare and
Medicaid—many of whom have complex medical and social needs—often have trouble accessing
services and receive little care coordination, resulting in poorer health outcomes and higher spending
relative to other beneficiaries. Programs that coordinate dual-eligible beneficiaries’ Medicare and
Medicaid benefits have the potential to improve care for this population. In the report, the Commission
notes that federally qualified health centers and community health centers may be uniquely positioned to
coordinate care for dual-eligible beneficiaries because they provide primary care, behavioral health
services, and care management services, often at the same clinic site.
Mandated reports. The report includes three chapters that fulfill Congressional mandates: one on
Medicare ambulance add-on payments, a second on geographic adjustment of fee schedule payments for
the work effort of physicians and other health professionals, and a third on Medicare payment for
outpatient therapy services. In each case, the Commission considers the existing policies—which are not
permanent statutory provisions—and examines the effect of their continuation or termination on
program spending, beneficiaries’ access to care, and the quality of care beneficiaries receive, as well as
their potential to advance payment reform.
The three congressionally mandated reports are described in further detail in separate fact sheets, posted
on MedPAC’s website. The full report can be downloaded from MedPAC’s website:
http://medpac.gov/documents/Jun13_EntireReport.pdf
Read more about Medicare and Workers' Compensation
Related articles
Federal Panel: Hospitals Charging More Than Doctors Offices For Medicare Services
Morning Bell: Obamacare's Negative Impact on Seniors
Medicare Chief: Obamacare Is Extending Medicare's Life
Study: Immigrants put billions more into Medicare than they use
Medicare chief: Medicare outlook improves, Obamacare the reason
Monday, August 17, 2009
AAJ Comments that Medicare Set-Asides Only Recommend
Thursday, June 27, 2013
CMS Consolidates Web Portals for Coordination of Benefits & Recovery
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
CMS Set-Aside Rules Raise Concern of Civil Trial Bar
Click here to read more about CMS Set-aside arrangements.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
CMS Announces New WCMSA Re-Evaluation Procedure
February 12, 2013
Effective immediately, if a WCMSA proposal amount was originally submitted via the web-portal, a re-evaluation of an approved WCMSA amount can be requested through the WCMSA web portal, if the claimant or submitter believes that a CMS determination:
• contains obvious mistakes, such as mathematical errors or a failure to recognize that medical records already submitted show a surgery CMS priced has already occurred, or
• misinterpreted evidence previously submitted, a re-evaluation maybe requested.
Please refer to Question # 12 of the July 11, 2005, procedure memorandum located in the “downloads” section of this page for detailed information regarding when a re-evaluation request maybe submitted. The CMS Regional Offices will continue to review the requests submitted through the portal.
Posted on CMS Workers Compensation Agency Services
Read more about WCMSA and workers' compensation
Related articles
- Class Action by Medicare Advantage Beneficiares Dismissed By Federal Court (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- State Audit Reveals North Carolina Needs To Combat Employer Fraud (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Medicare Conditional Repayment Procedures: Former Judge to Speak About New Law (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
- Protect American workers from exposure to silica on the job (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
Monday, April 14, 2014
CMS Posts WCMSA Self-Administration Guidance
- New Self-Administration Toolkit for WCMSAs
- Account Expenditure for Lump Sum Account (Attestation Letter)
- Account Expenditure for Structured Annuity (Attestation Letter)
- Transaction Record Sample
- WCMSA Reference Guide
Sunday, November 16, 2025
Chevron Falls: Workers' Compensation Survives
Friday, September 27, 2024
Chevron's Fall: Medicare Set-Asides Face Legal Shake-Up
Sunday, June 29, 2025
WCMSAs: What You Need to Know
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently hosted an informative webinar on Workers' Compensation Medicare Set-Asides (WCMSAs), shedding light on these crucial financial agreements and their impact on workers' compensation claims.



