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Administrative/Regulatory,
Health Care & Hospital Law

Jul. 11, 2024

Legal restrictions on third-party carriers’ negotiations of medical bills in personal injury suits

Third-party carriers use outside organizations to negotiate lower medical bills with healthcare providers without informing the patient or their attorney, a practice that violates HIPAA, California law, and public policy.

Albert Abkarian

Litigation Attorney, Abkarian & Associates, APC.

3827 Ocean View Blvd.
Montrose , CA 91020

Phone: (818) 248-8555

Fax: (818) 248-8555

Email: Albert@Abkarianlaw.com

Whittier College SOL; CA

Nicholas Abkarian

Law Clerk, Abkarian & Associates, APC

Shutterstock

Recently, an unprecedented situation has emerged in California’s personal injury cases: third-party carriers are utilizing independent organizations to negotiate reduced medical bills directly with healthcare providers. These bills are then paid without informing the plaintiff’s attorney or the patient.

In most cases, the providers are not aware that they are discussing the patients’ cases with third-party carriers as the unaffiliated organ...

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