A new law was passed in 2013 addressing benefits paid to drivers, which has significantly affected chiropractors and other health care pros and providers. The basic crux of the new statute is that if the new patient is not declared to have an emergency medical condition, he or she will not have the full $10,000 previously available under Florida personal injury protection (PIP) law, but will only have $2,500 to reimburse to health care providers that treat these patients. It has also spurred a number of interesting potential interesting transactions and growth in various sectors of the health care community.
This issue has posed immensely complex credentialing issues. Many chiropractors will have to be credentialed and clinics will have to determine what they are credentialed to do. Additionally, it will be necessary for many organizations to determine the employment status of MDs, how services are to be provided under the Florida Health Care Clinic Act and whether physical therapy will be provided.
In certain cases, Medicare and private insurance carriers will not allow for physical therapy by certain doctors, but there can be exceptions. The process is immensely complex and if not properly addressed can result in huge requests for overpayment refunds by various carriers. Ultimately, it has put the license massage therapy into question as to whether services will be covered.
If you are or believe you are affected by PIP reform compliance issues, it is critical to reach out to an experienced law firm that can help you ideally address these compliance issues.
We at Lowe & Evander, P.A., are prepared to bring our expertise to help you understand these changes, what they mean and how they relate to:
- Transactions
- Reimbursements
- (Re)structuring agreements
- How they affect medical malpractice and pro-liability insurance
We are prepared to partner directly with you to reach a best possible resolution for immediate and long-term operational well-being with respect to these compliance issues.
To schedule an initial consultation with one of our Florida health care attorneys, call (407) 332-6353 or contact us online.