Navigating Medicare Compliance: Strategies and Best Practices Relating to Management and Resolution of Non-Litigated and Litigated Liability Claims

Obligations under the Medicare Act involving a liability claim arise when the release is signed. Compliance should not begin with the immediate involvement of a Medicare vendor. To achieve compliance, one who is negotiating a settlement must focus on the settlement terms and associated language within the release with an appreciation and understanding of the interaction of the various statutory and regulatory requirements upon the parties.  This discussion will provide a summary of the current and anticipated statutory and regulatory requirements for compliance under the Medicare Act, including summaries of recent judicial decisions, which impact the liability claim industry.  Attendees will also take away best practices to employ within a casualty program to improve claim closure rates, reduce indemnity cost, increase compliance, create a national consistent program approach and remove confusion from the claim settlement process.

Facilitators

• • Robert Behnke, Director of Risk Management, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., Lebanon, TN

• • Thomas S. Thornton, III, Carr Allison, Birmingham, AL