With workers compensation and personal injury cases, one area of concern is how the victim’s future medical expenses will be paid. For those claimants that are, or shortly will be, receiving Medicare benefits, it is an important advantage to keep in mind that a portion of the settlement funds must be specifically put aside for subsequent medical costs.
This is where a Medicare Set-Aside Account comes in. Over the years, our settlement consultants have assisted attorneys and their clients with setting up the funding for Medicare Set Asides in California for Los Angeles County and San Diego County.
According to Federal law, Medicare is considered to be a secondary payer for medical expenses. What this means for claimants receiving settlements is that Medicare will not cover medical expenses resulting from the injury, including doctor’s appointments, laboratory tests, surgeries and medicine, before funds are used from the settlements themselves.