Bill in Congress Would Clarify Medicare Secondary-Payer Procedures

A coalition pushing for reform of the Medicare and Medicaid secondary payer process hopes a bill in Congress will bring new transparency and simplicity to what’s long been considered a broken system. House Resolution 5881, sponsored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., would fix the problem by allowing parties in workers’ compensation settlements to know early on if the injured worker is also covered by Medicare or Medicaid, said David Farber, counsel for the Medicare Advocacy Recovery Coalition. Farber and other advocates spoke this week at the Workers’ Compensation Institut...