by Kenneth A. David, Esq.

Long delays in getting CMS approval of MSAs mean delays in settling and closing claims. In July, the new government contractor, Provider Resources, Inc, began reviewing MSAs. Their turnaround time has been less than 2 months on average. For those MSAs submitted before July 2012, the old contractor was still responsible for them with turnaround times of almost a year. CMS recently reported that there had been a concerted effort to address the backlog and the expectation is that some of the MSAs that appear to be languishing will be reviewed soon.

Statistical note: As of 2013, the government has reported there will be 52 million people on Medicare — 43 million based on age and 9 million based on disability.