Medicare Secondary Payer's Impact on Tort Litigation Subject of Two Seminars & Newsletter from HB

PHILADELPHIA, March 8 /PRNewswire/ -- "One of the more anxiety-inspiring developments to hit the tort and insurance bar in recent months has been Medicare's new requirement that it receive reports of medical payments made to tort plaintiffs who also received or are eligible for medical payments under Medicare," said Tom Hagy, CEO of HB Litigation Conferences.

"While the reimbursement piece has been around since 1980, the reporting requirement comes with $1,000-a-day penalties and at a time when the federal government is showing its willingness to sue for reimbursement of expenses, in one case to the tune of $69 million," Hagy said.  "It's an issue to impact law firms, defendants and insurance companies involved in cases arising from toxic torts, like asbestos, product liability, construction injuries, medical malpractice, auto accidents, workplace accidents -- just about any case seeking medical payments for injuries."

To help attorneys and insurance carriers understand and track the latest developments relating to The Medicare Medicaid & SCHIP Extension Act, or MMSEA, HB Litigation Conferences has announced seminars in Philadelphia and New Orleans, and a regular newsletter to track the story.

For the Philadelphia seminar, set for May 4, 2010 at The Hub Cira Centre, HB has selected to chair the event Marc Gaffrey of Hoagland Longo Moran Dunst & Doukas of New Brunswick, N.J. and Christopher Placitella of Cohen Placitella & Roth of Red Bank, N.J.   This event -- "Medicare Secondary Payer Mandatory Reporting Requirements Update"  -- will focus on the impact the law is having on mass tort and asbestos litigation.

For the New Orleans seminar on May 19, 2010, at the Ritz-Carlton, HB has selected as chairmen John O'Meara of Bremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara of Woodland Hills, Calif., and Steve Mullins of Luckey & Mullins of Ocean Springs, Miss.

Attorneys and insurance companies are rushing to signup for HB's new Medicare Secondary Payer Report to receive the latest news, guidance, and expert commentary on the new reporting requirements. HB's first issue was published last week.  Subscribers have the choice between a free version that provides brief news reports, and a premium version with complete coverage.  The report is being published electronically in a "continuous monthly" format, where readers will receive news as HB finds it, plus complete details in a report each month.

For more information about the Medicare Secondary Payer seminars or the newsletter, contact HB Litigation Conferences by phone at (484) 324-2755 x212, by email at [email protected], or by visiting the conferences section at HB's website at www.LitigationConferences.com.

HB Litigation Conferences is a nationally certified provider of continuing legal education conferences, webinars, teleconferences and multi-media products in the areas of insurance, reinsurance, toxic torts, asbestos, construction, products and financial litigation.  Tom Hagy, HB's CEO, is former editor and publisher at Mealey Publications and vice president at LexisNexis.  Sharon Boothe, HB's president, was Mealey's Conferences director since its first program in 1992 through 2008.

SOURCE HB Litigation Conferences