OUTPATIENT PROSPECTIVE PAYMENT SYSTEMS (OPPS)

What Is OPPS — And Why It Matters in Florida PIP Cases

OPPS stands for Outpatient Prospective Payment System. It is a Medicare reimbursement methodology used to pay for hospital outpatient services. Instead of paying based strictly on a physician’s fee schedule, OPPS assigns services to payment classifications and reimburses based on predetermined rates. In simple terms: OPPS is one of Medicare’s official payment systems — and […]

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Gratuitous Payments and Improper PIP Exhaustion: What it Means for Florida Medical Providers

The 30-Day Billing Rule Under Florida PIP Florida’s Personal Injury Protection statute, section 627.736(5)(b), Florida Statutes (1999), imposed a strict 30-day billing requirement for medical providers submitting PIP claims. The statute states that a provider’s statement of charges “may not include” charges for treatment rendered more than 30 days before the postmark date, and the […]

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Transportation Is a Compensable PIP Expense

Florida’s Personal Injury Protection statute, section 627.736(1)(a), Florida Statutes, requires insurers to pay eighty percent of all reasonable expenses for medically necessary medical benefits arising from a motor vehicle accident, and Florida courts have interpreted this language to include reasonable transportation expenses incurred to obtain that medical care. The Florida Supreme Court squarely addressed this […]

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