CASE QUOTES
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“The law implies that there is an agreement to pay a reasonable price for the goods and services. To recover under such a contract, the hospital has the burden of proving that its charges were reasonable..“
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“The price term in the agreement between Jane Doe and HCA
Donelson Hospital is indefinite, and the agreement is therefore unenforceable. HCA Donelson Hospital is entitled to the reasonable value of the medical goods and services it provided.“
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“Simply looking at the rates charged relative to other hospitals can give a false sense of value…if other hospitals grossly overcharge for services relative to their costs, then a mere side-by-side comparison of hospitals’ unreasonable charges would make them appear reasonable.“
A Few Words About MBC
Hospital billing policies and issues are so complicated that negotiating a truly reasonable bill is nearly impossible without the assistance of trained professionals. Consequently, hospitals regularly charge and attempt to collect several hundred percent more than patients/payers are legally obligated to pay. Hospitals typically accept a reasonable amount as payment in full from approximately 90% of their patient population, but unfairly expect a minority to pay full billed charges. Among that minority are self-insured companies, the uninsured and underinsured, and injured Plaintiffs with settlement proceeds from a personal injury action. At MBC, we are committed to ensuring that patients/payers don’t pay more than the reasonable amount, simply because they cannot interpret their bill, or defend their right to a reasonable bill.
The Medical Bill Clinic™ was founded by two Florida attorneys, Michael Walrath and David Lubowitz, both members of Medical Billing Advocates of America. MBC was formed following a two year appeal of an Ethics Opinion regarding hospital liens. Through Mr. Walrath’s appeal, the Board of Governors ultimately recognized that hospital lien negotiation has become so complex that even seasoned personal injury attorneys and other legal professionals often cannot invest the time and resources required to adequately protect their clients’ rights when facing hospital liens. A revised Rule 4-1.5has been adopted by the Board of Governors, which allows injured Plaintiffs to retain the Medical Bill Clinic to fight for their right to a reasonable bill; a new era of justice has dawned on the area of hospital billing and lien release.
Mr. Walrath’s litigation experience includes litigating hundreds of hospital accounts across the State of Florida, including a successful appealin which the Second District Court of Appeals adopted the Federal reasonableness factors. MBC combines that experience with Mr. Lubowitz’ unparalleled hospital negotiation experience honed by more than five years of operating Assent Medical Cost Management, a private company which has negotiated thousands of hospital bills on behalf of patients and their insurers. MBC also accesses a team of medical professionals including medical doctors, nurses, hospital coders and forensic auditors who provide the required data, which is inputted into a proprietary formula to calculate the reasonable value of a client’s hospital bill. By utilizing this team of professionals, and tapping the deep negotiation and litigation experience of its partners, MBC will negotiate with the hospital until a reasonable amount is reached, or will bring suit if those negotiations fail.
The Medical Bill Clinic also offers other litigation support services to legal professionals who rely on medical records to prove a breach of the standard of care, the amount of their clients’ damages, or both. Click on the Support Services tab above to learn more about medical record retrieval, and the other medical record related litigation support services available.
Don’t ever pay the full billed charges for hospital care again. Call MBC today for a free consultation and let us fight for your right to a reasonable bill.