by Marius Ged, on Sep 13, 2021 9:42:35 AM
Medical providers might understandably ask what they’re signing before working with Ged Lawyers to process PIP claims. Why is it prudent and necessary for medical providers to sign an Attorney-Provider agreement?
Why We Require Signed Attorney-Provider Agreements
Our legal services require access to files containing medical treatment records. We take patient data privacy seriously, and our protocols are fully HIPAA-compliant. This is also why the Florida Bar requires attorneys to have signed Attorney-Provider Agreements on file before working with medical clientele and information.
While the Agreement enables Ged Lawyers to represent our medical providers, it does not bind them exclusively to our team. Our clients are always free to keep working with other attorneys and to refer business elsewhere.
Nor is the agreement long-term. - our clients may cancel any time, with just seven days’ notice.
Our firm signs an Attorney-Provider Agreement with medical clientele so that both sides comply with the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) provisions.
What Your Signed Agreement Entails
The HIPAA Privacy Rule allows medical providers to disclose patients’ protected health information (PHI) as necessary to business associates, provided the associates produce satisfactory assurances that data will be used only for the agreed-upon purpose—here, the PIP recovery process.
Your signed agreement contains the elements required by federal law, which entail:
- Describing our necessary uses of PHI.
- Our assurance that we will not use or further disclose PHI beyond those uses or as required by law.
- Our declaration of appropriate safeguards to prevent further use or disclosure of PHI, adhering in all aspects to the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
- Our implementation of the HIPAA Security Rule concerning electronic PHI.
- Our assurances, as required by HIPAA, that the medical client is notified of any breaches involving protected health information.
- Our assurances, as required by HIPAA, are that we will disclose PHI to meet our medical clients' legal obligations with respect to patient requests for copies of their PHI.
- Our assurances that we will make available to HHS the necessary information to show the medical client’s compliance with HIPAA.
- Our assurances that we will return or destroy all PHI received from or created for the medical provider.
Through our Attorney-Provider Agreement, we declare that we will safeguard your data from misuse, ensuring your HIPAA compliance.
The Dangers of Referring Pip Cases WITHOUT Signed Agreements
As all medical providers know, the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requires all medical professionals to scrupulously manage identifiable information by which someone could recognize an individual. The same applies to any third parties who work on behalf of HIPAA-covered entities, including legal representatives.
First, a provider may not send us a patient’s file without an Attorney-Provider Agreement. Fines for a HIPAA violation can be up to $50,000 per file.
And civil damages can be much higher.
We want to earn your business every month. Within our commitment to you is our zealous attention to the privacy and security standards that protect our business relationship, and your professional responsibilities to your patients.
Why Partner With Ged Lawyers?
Our personal injury protection (PIP) attorneys are subject matter experts. We are devoted to PIP claim recoveries. To represent our medical providers, we review medical files, submit claims, obtain settlements, and take claims to court when needed, ensuring that our fees are paid by insurance companies as required by Florida law.
We believe our outcomes speak for our diligence and the quality of our services. Please take a tour of case studies from various medical clients who increased their revenue by partnering with our firm.
Our medical partners' success is our objective. Holding insurance companies to their legal responsibilities protects medical providers' income, and upholds Florida law.
Ready to Get Started?
We appreciate your interest and invite you to schedule a consultation at your convenience and find out exactly how Ged Lawyers can recover the funds to which your business is entitled.
