The questions attorneys ask before retaining him.
Cost, timing, sides, testimony and what to send. If your question is not here, ask it directly.
What does a medical bill reasonableness expert do?
A medical bill reasonableness expert reviews every charge in the medical bills of an injury case and gives an opinion on what the care was reasonably worth. Dr. Friedman compares each billed charge with published benchmarks for the same service in the same area, then writes a signed report that attorneys use for damages, settlement and trial.
How much does a report cost?
A bill reasonableness report costs a flat fee, quoted in writing before you commit. The fee covers reading the complaint, reviewing every bill, and the written report. Deposition and trial testimony are billed hourly.
How long does a report take?
A report is delivered within 10 business days of receiving the complete bills. If your deadline is sooner, say so when you send the case and Dr. Friedman will tell you on the first call whether he can meet it.
What kinds of cases does Dr. Friedman take?
Dr. Friedman takes cases where the reasonable value of the medical bills is in dispute, for either side. That means bills from hospitals, physicians and other providers in injury cases. Cases come from across the United States.
Does Dr. Friedman work for plaintiffs or defendants?
Dr. Friedman works for either side. The method is the same whoever hires him, which is what makes the opinion hold up. He has offered his opinion for the plaintiff in a wrongful death case against a tobacco company, and he has been retained by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Has Dr. Friedman testified in court?
Yes. Dr. Friedman has testified at trial and in deposition. He also sat on the Massachusetts Medical Malpractice Tribunals, hearing malpractice claims alongside a judge, so the courtroom is familiar ground.
Has Dr. Friedman ever been excluded as an expert or sued?
No. Dr. Friedman has never been excluded or limited as an expert witness, and he has never been sued.
Why hire a physician instead of a certified coder or nurse?
A physician can say what the care was, why it was done and what it was worth, in one opinion. Dr. Friedman practiced emergency medicine for more than 30 years, still practices via telemedicine, and also ran companies that audited hospital bills for Blue Cross plans, HMOs and Medicare, so he has seen bills from the clinical side and the payer side.
What do you need to start?
To start, Dr. Friedman needs the complaint and the itemized bills from every provider, ideally UB-04 and CMS-1500 forms. Payment records and explanations of benefits help if you have them. Please do not send records through the website form; he will tell you how to send them securely.
What if the bills turn out to be reasonable?
If the bills are reasonable, Dr. Friedman says so. Some bills are fair. You get the honest answer before anyone relies on it.
Does Dr. Friedman give standard-of-care opinions against physicians?
No. Dr. Friedman does not testify that another physician committed malpractice. His opinions are about the medical bills: what was charged, and what the care was reasonably worth.
Send the case for a free first look.
Free first look. Flat fee quoted in writing. Report within 10 business days of the complete bills.