Given the government’s dismal fiscal situation, you would think they would make every attempt to quickly collect money owed to them. Or at the very least, they would take our calls when we try to pay them back on behalf of our clients!
Let me backup and explain. Many clients involved in a personal injury lawsuit will use Medicare or Medicaid to pay hospital bills and other medical costs while their case is still active. Once a settlement is reached, the government needs to be paid back before the client can collect other compensation they are owed.
Wouldn’t you think the government would want their money? We did. Until we tried to find out what was owed and pay them back.
What does this typically entail? Months of making calls, leaving messages, getting new numbers to call, leaving more messages, getting transferred, leaving more messages….you get the drift.
Why can’t they get their act together? This is money they are owed. They should have this all automated so the payments can be made seamlessly by attorneys and clients across the country. Shouldn’t the government want this money? They sure seem like they can use it and, yet, surprisingly they are making it very difficult for us to pay them.
Unfortunately, this not only hurts the government—which ultimately hurts everyone—but also punishes each client whose settlement is stalled for weeks or months while waiting for the government to collect payment. In the meantime, the client usually has other expenses related to their accident that they need to pay with their settlement. They are forced to wait in limbo while the government gets its act together.
How do you feel about this? Post your comments on our Facebook wall and let us know!