In a mass tort case, Medicare’s liens are resolved as a group, in a global resolution. In a global resolution, the Garretson Resolution Group will work to calculate an overall reimbursement value for all Medicare’s liens in a specific mass tort case. The reimbursement amounts or “global values” are based on the routine costs of standard medical care for the treatment of each type of injury in a particular mass tort claim, and the amount of time you’ve been receiving Medicare benefits.
For instance, in a mass tort case there may be a large group of claimants who allege that they all suffered heart attacks because they all took a certain type of medication. For those plaintiffs, our medical experts would determine what the minimum standard of medical care would be for any person who was treated for a heart attack at the emergency room. The Garretson team would then determine the costs associated with that standard of care. That amount is then used as a global lien reimbursement value for every person who had that same injury in a specific mass tort. The advantage of this process is that it saves many many months in the process and produces fair and effective results.