California Medical-Legal Interpreter Invoice Recovery

Certified Interpreters are indispensable members of the Workers’ Compensation System. At The Law Offices of George E. Corson IV we know interpreters are often not paid on time, or in some cases, not at all. When insurance carriers refuse to pay translation invoices, the interpreter or their agency are forced to wait for the money they are legally owed. We can help. Let us collect the money you deserve, at no cost to you, and make the insurance company pay for wasting your time.

Why Won’t The Insurance Company Pay My Invoice?

Workers’ Compensation is a high-volume industry. Insurance adjusters don’t read every invoice they receive and often do not differentiate between Medical-Legal translation services and Treatment services. We do not collect Treatment service invoices because legally they can be deferred during the case and settled for pennies on the dollar. Adjustors who classify your Medical-Legal translation invoice as a Treatment invoice may hope to resolve your bill several years down the road for 25% to 50% of the amount owed.

Medical-Legal translation invoices for AME, QME, Defense Deposition, and WCAB Appearances are supposed to be paid (or objected to) within 60 days. If you are fortunate enough to receive payment within 120 days, cash the check and count yourself lucky. If the carrier is holding your payment beyond 120 days, you probably need help recovering your money. If you don’t take action, your invoice could remain outstanding for several years.

What Steps Should I Take To Improve My Chances of Getting Paid?

1. First, do not accept Treatment services requests without Pre-Authorization. Since these services may be delayed and reduced at the end of the case, you don’t want to have unpaid invoices for Treatment services. Medical-Legal services are more recoverable.
2. Do not prepare for depositions in cases where the defendant already has another interpreter. To ensure deposition services payment, be on the defense’s payroll if possible.
3. Request confirmation that your services are required for upcoming AME and QME assignments. Keep the confirmation letter or email for future proof.
4. Send a Proof of Service with your invoice to the carrier and defense attorney EVERY TIME.
5. Keep all EORs and Objections with a copy of your invoices.
6. Send a Market Rate Analysis if they want to reduce your invoice (along with a Proof of Service).
7. If you receive a denial or reduction of your services invoice, request a second review to preserve your rights.
8. If your invoice is unpaid after 120 days, file a Petition for Non-IBR or a Petition for 5811 Costs to bring the matter before the WCAB.

Don’t Let the Carriers Keep Your Hard-Earned Money

Insurance companies don’t always make the right decisions. When they receive an invoice for Medical-Legal translation services based upon WCAB/AME/QME/Defense deposition assignments, the correct decision is to pay that invoice within 60 days. This is also a great decision for you because it ensures your business has cash flow.

Unfortunately, insurance carriers often make a bad decision to hold your money for several years and try to reduce the amount you finally recover. Not only does this negatively affect your business viability, but the carrier can also be subject to penalties, interest, and attorney’s fees for failure to pay the invoice when due. It’s a lose-lose proposition.

Since insurance companies have billions of dollars of assets, they often don’t consider the possible penalties they may incur. But the impact on your business can be devastating. The worst decision you can make is to wait several years for payment or write off your invoices because it is too difficult and time-consuming to collect them.

Don’t reinforce the insurance companies’ bad decisions by compromising or giving up on the money you are owed. If you are willing to fight for the payments you legally deserve, contact us today. We are interpreter collection specialists and we can help you recover for your services, at no cost to you.