If you are enrolled in Medicare, and Medicare is paying accident related bills that are part of your personal injury claim, then you must report the claim to Medicare, through their contractor, Medicare Secondary Payer Contractor, also called MSPRC. This is becuase Medicare is like any other health plan, and is entitled to be reimbursed out of any settlement or recovery on a personal injury claim for the benefits its provided.
Some insurance companies feel that every person who has a personal injury claim must report to the MSPRC, but that is not the consensus. This probably stems from the fear that Medicare is able to seek reimbursement from several parties, including the insurance company, even if the injured Medicare beneficiary does not reimburse Medicare out of settlement proceeds. Medicare can also pursue reimbursement from the beneficiary, and her attorney. It is good practice to keep Medicare in the loop.
This system has been criticized over the years for several reasons, but there have been efforts to make working with the MSPRC more user friendly.
We have handled several cases involving Medicare reimbursement, and if you have a question on this topic, give us a call at 503-325-8600.
