When working on your mass tort cases, do you handle the lien resolution process differently than your single event cases? Mass tort lien resolution can be very similar to that of single event cases. Preparation is the key to handling any case, whether it’s on a large scale or not.
Best practices are to ask your clients who insured them at any point since their injury-inducing event. This is important information that can shed some light on their case. This is where the mass tort process can diverge from single event. MASSIVE can use “global resolution programs” that allow us to share huge amounts of data with Medicare, each Medicaid program, and some of the larger insurance aggregators, or subrogation companies.
Mass tort has another advantage over single event cases when it comes to authorizations. Where it takes tremendous work to obtain HIPAA authorizations from each plaintiff, the mass tort process allows for a Qualified Protective Order (QPO) where the judge authorizes us for all plaintiffs in one signature.
Finally, the mass tort lien resolution process can get messy because your definition of settlement may not match that of the lien holders. The lien holders often ask for final allocation amounts to each plaintiff before they finalize liens. This request is necessary in some of the global programs that rely on per plaintiff maximums as well as the Medicare global resolution programs. Be prepared for this timing. More importantly make sure your clients are aware that this delay exists and is often unavoidable.
Contact the experts at MASSIVE if your firm needs help with lien resolution and settlement administration strategies.
