The Florida Medical Association Files Brief Against Allstate

April 6, 2016

The Florida Medical Association (FMA) will be permitted to file a friend-of-the-court brief in a case before the Florida Supreme Court over fees paid to medical providers who treat injured victims of vehicle wrecks.

Allstate Insurance had asked Florida’s justices to reject the FMA motion to file a friend-of-the-court brief, but the Supreme Court ruled on March 30 in FMA’s favor, according to the News Service of Florida.

Allstate is appealing a ruling by the Fourth District Court of Appeal concerning Florida’s PIP auto insurance system. A key issue in the ruling—which involved 32 consolidated cases—focused on whether policies were clear that Allstate would make payments to providers based on a Medicare fee schedule.

“This case is important to the FMA because it involves the application of a statute that deals with reimbursement rates for FMA member physicians who provide treatment to patients with personal injury protection insurance,” FMA said in its March 11 motion.

A Fourth DCA panel agreed with providers that insurance policies were ambiguous on whether payments should be based on the Medicare fee schedule, which places limits on payment amounts.

“Allstate is attempting to use a payment methodology that will dramatically limit or reduce the standard and customary rate of reimbursement for treatment and services for FMA members,” the FMA said in its motion. “FMA physicians have seen or will see a dramatic reduction in reimbursement rates under the PIP law based on the ruling in this case.”

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