On January 17, after an extensive investigation by the Consumer Protection Section of the Colorado Department of Law, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced that medical billing company Flatirons agreed to refund payments by Coloradans for allegedly deceptive billing notices, totaling $12,933.89. Flatirons creates and processes claims for insurance reimbursement, coverage appeals/denials, monetary payments owed by patients, while also serving as a billing point of contact with insurers and patients.
In December 2018, Flatirons acquired medical billing company Delphi Management Services LLC (Delphi), inheriting preexisting contracts from Delphi, including contracts with surgical assistants. Some of the surgical assistants assisted in-network surgeons with procedures even if the surgical assistants fell outside of the patient’s network. Flatirons sought reimbursement from insurance carriers for these out-of-network surgical assistants.
If the insurer did not pay the surgical assistant the requested amount, Flatiron sent patients a “statement detail” — formatted like a bill — which contained language, such as “This Is Not A Bill However We Need Your Assistance!! Please Call Your Insurance And Request This Claim Be Processed In-network Per State Mandate.” Additionally, the statement detail listed the surgical assistant’s “billed rate” at a figure typically higher than the rate insurance companies reimburse providers. In some instances, Flatirons and its client sent patients to a collection agency for the full billed amount. As a result, Flatirons agreed to refund patients who made payments on the misleading bills.
Why This Matters
This case illustrates that state AGs remain focused on misleading and deceptive communications to consumers. Specifically, AGs seem concerned with false claims violations in the medical industry.
Troutman Pepper State Attorneys General Team
Ashley Taylor – Co-leader and Firm Vice Chair Ashley is a partner in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group and co-leader of the State Attorneys General practice. He focuses primarily on federal and state government regulatory and enforcement matters involving state attorneys general, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Drawing upon his experience as a deputy attorney general, Ashley has developed an extensive consumer practice with regard to the consumer financial services industry. | |
Clay Friedman – Co-leader Clay is a partner in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group and co-leader of the State Attorneys General practice. Informed by nearly a decade in a state attorneys general office, and more than 25 years in private practice, Clay spends much of his time representing clients in singular or multistate regulatory actions. Clay has repeatedly led teams before all 50 state attorneys general and also handles matters with the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and other local, state and federal agencies. | |
Stephen Piepgrass Stephen represents clients interacting with, and being investigated by, state attorneys general and other enforcement bodies, including the CFPB and FTC, as well as clients involved with litigation, particularly in heavily regulated industries. | |
Michael Yaghi Michael handles high-profile state attorneys general, FTC, and CFPB investigations by advising clients through these complex government inquiries. He assists clients through the entire life cycle of investigations, from regulatory enforcement through formal litigation. | |
Ketan Bhirud As a former government official at the state and federal level, Ketan leverages extensive experience in the public and private sectors to skillfully represent client interests. | |
Avi Schick A former deputy attorney general of New York, Avi applies his experience in bet-the-company matters, representing clients in criminal and civil investigations and enforcement actions before state and federal regulators, prosecutors and enforcement agencies. | |
Chris Carlson Chris represents clients in regulatory, civil and criminal investigations and litigation. In his practice, Chris regularly employs his prior regulatory experience to benefit clients who are interacting with and being investigated by state attorneys general. | |
Natalia Jacobo Natalia is an associate in the firm’s business litigation practice. She recently received her J.D from the University of California, Davis School of Law. | |
Namrata Kang Namrata is an associate in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group, based in the Washington, D.C. office. Her work includes advising clients in regulatory investigations and compliance matters, in addition to representing clients in civil litigation matters. | |
Susan Nikdel Susan is an associate in the firm’s Consumer Financial Services Practice Group, and focuses her practice on consumer financial services matters. She has defended several of the nation’s largest and most influential financial institutions in individual and class action litigation involving the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and other consumer privacy statutes. Susan also represents banks, fintechs, and financial services companies in connection with regulatory examinations and investigations brought by the CFPB, state attorneys general, and the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. | |
Whitney Shephard Whitney is an attorney in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) Practice Group. She represents clients facing state and federal regulatory investigations and enforcement actions, as well as related civil litigation. | |
Trey Smith Trey is an associate in the firm’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement practice. His experience includes serving as a summer associate at the firm in 2021. | |
Daniel Waltz An experienced litigator, Daniel advises and represents regional, national and international companies, financial institutions and insurers in all facets of business, complex commercial and insurance coverage litigation. He is committed to working with his clients to find creative solutions to meet their needs. | |
Stephanie Kozol Stephanie is Troutman Pepper’s senior government relations manager in the state attorneys general department. |