Tower MSA Partners Launches New Website and Celebrates 12th Anniversary

September 26, 2023

Tower MSA Partners celebrates its 12th anniversary with the launch of a new website focusing on driving claims to settlement.

Tower MSA Partners recently marked our 12 years in business with the rollout of a new, streamlined website that emphasizes our focus on your settlements.  We facilitate claim closure by aggressively seeking savings and making Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) compliance and Medicare Set-Aside (MSA) prep better, faster and easier.

Working on the new site allowed us to reflect on our differentiators. We don’t try to be all things to all people.  We are singularly focused on MSP compliance, MSA preparation, and going above and beyond to serve our clients.  It’s you, our client partners, and your need to close claims and continually improve your workers’ comp programs that drives us.

This includes our built-for-this-industry MSP Automation Suite, which integrates Section 111 reporting with conditional payment resolution and MSA preparation processes.  Automation saves significant time, reduces errors and allows our client partners to focus on matters other than MSP compliance. And our annual SOC 2 Type II audit confirms the efficiency and effectiveness of our systems and processes.

As great as our tech is, however, at some point, it must give way to human expertise. It’s our legal and clinical specialists who apply their knowledge and experiences to remove barriers to settlement. Our clients appreciate our intuitive technology, but they love the personal service we provide.

As our name says, Tower is your partner. We actively listen to our clients’ goals and desires and make them our own.  Our specialists respond quickly to your questions with clear answers. We consult, advise and stay involved through claim closure and (when appropriate) approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

We know that an MSA allocation can determine if a claim can close and we fight for every dollar of savings while we maintain 100% compliance with CMS and state regulations. Tower will also assemble and lead a settlement team to work with injured workers and their attorneys to bring claims to closure.

As we celebrate our 12th anniversary and the launch of a new website, we thank our clients – our partners – for your trust and support.  Many of you have been with us for all 12 years.  We look forward to many more years of innovation and successful settlements.

Please visit our new website, still www.TowerMSA.com, and tell us what you think.

 

The Critical Care Nurses Give MSAs

May 11, 2023

Banner detailing Nurses an d photo of Brittney O'Neal

In the second installment of our quarterly series, “Tower Partners: People Behind the Settlements,” and in celebration of Nurses Week, we spotlight Brittney O’Neal, our Director of Clinical Operations. A nurse, Brittney oversees the team of nurses that produces our Medicare Set-asides (MSAs).

There are so many elements and areas of expertise needed to develop an MSA that is fair, reasonable and compliant.  Or, as we say: optimized. If Tower’s MSA operation was in the shape of a wheel, Brittney would be the hub.  Read on to learn more about her and how our MSAs are written to be effective settlement tools.

  1. What does your position as Director of Clinical Operations entail? And how does your role impact Tower’s clients?

I lead clinical operations which includes MSA writing, quality assurance and our Physician Follow-up service. We have a team of RNs who review the records and write MSA reports.  In so doing, they identify potential treatment and pharmacy problems and make intervention and mitigation strategies. As part of our quality assurance, I review MSA allocations for accuracy and make necessary corrections before they are delivered to our clients.  I also oversee our Physician Follow-up team, which is contacting treating physicians to resolve many of the problems we identified in writing the MSA.

Client communication is vitally important. I’m available to answer questions from clients and prospects and help them put together a plan of action to settle a claim.

  1. What led you to become a nurse? What experiences shaped your professional journey?

I actually started in the pharmacy field, wanting to become a pharmacist. However, one of my mentors told me that the industry was moving away from patient care and that I should look into more of the medical side.

  1. How did you get into MSP compliance and MSAs?

Honestly, by chance. I was a pharmacy technician looking for something different and was fortunate to land an interview with Tower MSA Partners. Kristine Dudley, Tower’s Chief Operating Officer, gave me an opportunity to turn a job into a career.

  1. How does being a nurse help you in your job at Tower?

Being a nurse enables you to better understand the medical material you are reading to in turn prepare an accurate allocation. It guides your approach to researching services and Medicare coverage and the ability to provide intervention strategies.

  1. What part of the job do you find the most rewarding?

I enjoy being able to help our teams and clients navigate the different aspects of this industry.  It’s great to be able to teach and share my knowledge while also learning from others. It is also rewarding to hear from clients who are grateful for the cost-saving measures our team accomplishes and the turn-around time of the reports.

  1. What are some of the things clients ask about most often?

Many questions include whether an MSA or Medical Cost Projection (MCP) is needed, CMS review thresholds, and the Amended Review process. Other questions deal with mitigation tactics to help with cost-saving measures.

  1. How do you facilitate the settlement of claims for Tower clients?

Everything Tower does is designed to facilitate claims settlement.  Carefully reviewing claims for cost drivers, like the wrong body part or duplicative or discontinued drugs. (That pharmacy background really came in handy!)  Turning around reports quickly and recommending and implementing clinical interventions to eliminate unnecessary costs.  Physician Follow-up ensures that treatment changes are properly recorded in medical records and that we have a signed physician statement so CMS can approve our MSA.

  1. Where did you attend school/degrees?

I earned an Associate of Arts degree from Palm Beach State College, then an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from HCI College, also in Palm Beach, Florida.

  1. What do you like best about working for Tower?

The close-knit family atmosphere. No matter what “title” one holds, we all understand the different levels of the workflow and are willing to assist in various areas when needed. Everyone is willing to share their knowledge so that other members can better understand the MSA/CMS process, along with other MSP matters, such as conditional payments and mandatory reporting.

  1. How do you think Tower sets itself apart from companies that sell the same/similar services?

I feel Tower MSA Partners sets itself apart from other companies by promptly being available for our clients to speak with and by having attorneys on staff for consultation. Another way is our free Physician Follow-up service and fast turn-around time on reports.

  1. Where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

I was Born in Long Island, NY, and moved to Palm Beach County, FL as a child.  Now we’re living in Saint Lucie County, FL.

  1. Tell us about your background and family.

Prior to joining this industry, I worked in retail and hospital pharmacy which assisted me with transitioning into the MSA world and going on to pursue my RN. My husband is a Firefighter/Paramedic, and we have three children (12, 9, and 5).

  1. What do you like to do on your time off?

On my off-time, I am a busy wife/mom running around to football practices/games and will soon start softball for my baby girl. I also enjoy weightlifting with my husband and family outings.

Thank you to Brittney and all our Tower nurses for your commitment to providing our clients with the highest level of service.  Happy Nurses Week!

Premier Webinar: Zeroing in on $0 MSAs

January 25, 2023

Details for Feb 15 webinar for Medicare Set-Aside (MSA's)

A $0 MSA remains an option in some workers’ compensation case settlements, although strict criteria must be met if CMS approval is necessary.  It is essential then for claims professionals to understand this criteria as steps taken early in claims handling can sometimes be the difference between a $0 and a fully funded MSA at the time of settlement.

Over his two decades in MSP compliance, Tower’s Chief Compliance Officer, Dan Anders, has successfully obtained CMS approval on hundreds of $0 MSAs.  Please join him for a Tower Premier Webinar on Feb. 15 at 2 PM ET.

In addition to $0 MSAs, Dan will also discuss using state statutes and regulations to limit MSA amounts.

The presentation covers the following:

  • Criteria for a CMS-approved $0 MSA
  • Alternative criteria for a Non-Submit $0 MSA
  • A step-by-step guide as to how to work with Tower to obtain a $0 MSA.
  • Use of state statutes and regulations to limit the MSA amount.

A Q&A session will follow the presentation, and you can provide questions you’d like us to cover when you register. Please click the link below and register today!

Please note that there is no CEU credit offered for this webinar.

Register Here

CIO Review Magazine Ranks Tower MSA Partners Among Top 10 Compliance Technology Services Companies

November 3, 2022

Pict of award congratulating Tower on its Technology

The honors keep coming. Earlier this year, Tower ranked in South Florida Business Journal’s Top 25 Women-Owned Business list and now there’s national recognition of our technology driven compliance services. CIO Review: The Enterprise Technology Magazine just listed us among its 10 Most Promising Technology Compliance Services Companies for 2022 and featured Tower in this article.

When our Co-founders Rita Wilson and Kristine Dudley looked at the Medicare Set-Aside (MSA) landscape back in 2010, they found it littered with paper and inefficient processes. Everything was manual. Few providers tried to mitigate costs. And MSAs took so long to produce that some settlements fell through.

After talking with prospective clients to determine their pain points, Rita and Kristie knew they needed to accelerate MSA production. They automated Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) compliance and MSA best practices into Tower’s MSP Automation Suite.

Because the suite easily integrates with any claims system and gathers data needed to prepare the MSA, it immediately reduced payers’ administrative burden. For the first time, clients also had 24/7 visibility into the entire claim. They could pull reports and check the status of an MSA anytime.

The suite also prompts for next steps and missing data to help keep claims moving. MSAs can be produced in days instead of weeks.

Tower’s MSP Automation Suite was designed so modules could be easily added to quickly adapt to changes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. For example, when the agency announced plans to impose high penalties for inaccurate or slow Section 111 Mandatory Insurer reporting, Tower built a dashboard to steer compliance efforts to help clients avoid these future penalties.

The technology helps us mitigate MSA costs and immediately implement CMS changes. It also makes compliance more efficient for Tower’s clients and employees.  It frees our professionals to concentrate on clinical and legal interventions to reduce allocations and focus on our clients.

One of our clients said,Tower MSA has been a great partner for us! I have been very impressed with their level of communication and availability to help answer questions. Their easy referral process and fast turnaround times are much appreciated.”

Naturally, we enjoy external validation from honors like the CIO Review recognition. But it’s a real honor to serve our client partners who are some of the most respected payer organizations in the industry.

We’re constantly looking for ways to improve, meet clients’ needs, and exceed their expectations. Please contact Rita Wilson, rita.wilson@towermsa.com with any questions, suggestions, or other ideas.

Premier Webinar: Care, Cost & Compliance Through MSA Professional Administration

October 25, 2022

details about Tower webinar about MSA Professional Administration

We rightly invest time to draft a Medicare Set-Aside (MSA) that accurately considers future medical care and, when appropriate, obtain approval of the allocation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

However, we don’t always dedicate enough time to address the MSA’s post-settlement implications for the injured or ill employee. This is a mistake. The comfort level the injured employee has with how well the MSA will be funded, its administration, and what resources are available to them after the claim closes often leads to their agreement to settle.

Tower MSA Partners is pleased to present this premier webinar on Nov. 16 at 2 PM ET which will feature special guest presenter, Nicole Chappelle, Vice President of Settlement Solutions for Ametros and Dan Anders, Tower’s Chief Compliance Officer.

The presentation covers:

  • CMS rules and options around MSA administration and MSA funding
  • Self vs. professionally administered MSAs
  • A step-by-step guide to how MSA professional administration works
  • Incorporation of MSA professional administration into a settlement agreement and expectations post-settlement

A Q&A session will follow the presentation, and you can provide questions you’d like us to cover when you register. Please click the link below and register today!

Register Here

Tower MSA Partners’ WCI-TV Interviews Reveal How Workers’ Compensation Companies Use Claims Data

August 19, 2022

WCI TV logo for ads on Data analytics

The workers’ compensation industry has extolled the promises of data analytics and automation for years.

But how are organizations really using claims data?  What strategies have worked best? And what have they learned?  Several executives will share their experiences during WCI-TV interviews sponsored by Tower MSA Partners.

Guests include Dave Strange, the Yellow Corporation’s Workers’ Compensation Manager and Greg Hamlin, Senior Vice President, Resolution with Berkley Industrial Comp. Ametros CEO Porter Leslie and Alisa Hofman, Vice President of Workers’ Compensation and Medicare Practices for Arcadia will discuss the use of data during and after settlement.

In addition, Tower’s Chief Compliance Officer Dan Anders and Chief Operations Officer Kristine Dudley will share how the technology driven company uses data to streamline Medicare Secondary Payer compliance, protect clients from penalties, and optimize Medicare Set-Asides.

Tower has been the exclusive sponsor of WCI-TV since it first aired in 2015. WCI-TV airs throughout the convention center, in hotel guest rooms and shuttles, on You Tube and CI’s website. Tower’s interviews will also be shared on the company’s LinkedIn page.

 The 76th Annual WCI Conference will be held August 21-24 at the Orlando World Center Marriott. For more information, please see https://www.wci360.com/conference/.

 

Catch Tower’s Dan Anders on the popular ADJUSTED podcast

July 13, 2022

Dan Anders who was quoted in the Claims Journal

The latest episode of the popular ADJUSTED podcast features our Chief Compliance Officer Dan Anders on one of his favorite topics, Medicare Set-Asides. When are they needed? How do you mitigate their costs? What’s the deal with rated ages? Host Greg Hamlin and Guest-host Matt Yehling, Director of Claims at Midwest Employers Casualty wanted to know.

The hosts posed the all-important question of when should workers’ comp claim with a Medicare beneficiary claimant be settled: now, later or not at all? Dan guides listeners through the various elements to consider when coming to this decision. Is the Medicare beneficiary’s condition stable? Is surgery imminent? Are they still tapering off certain medications? Are there ways to lower costs without compromising care? What are the barriers to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) approval?

While talking about ways to mitigate costs, Dan stresses the need to obtain physician statements to clarify treatment, including which medications are discontinued. CMS requires the costs for these to be included in the MSA unless changes are documented in certain ways. Tower’s Physician Follow-up service does this and has been used on nearly half of our CMS-submitted MSAs.

If you’re new to MSAs or need to know more about reducing their costs, this podcast is for you. Find it on Apple, Google, Spotify, other platforms and here: Medicare Set Asides with Dan Anders (buzzsprout.com).

Even better, you’ll learn a little more about Dan. Did you know he considered a career in politics?

Produced by Berkley Industrial Comp, ADJUSTED presents interviews with experts on a variety of topics touching workers’ comp. Other recent episodes on settlement issues were Ametros’ Andrea Wells and Brad Cantwell with Arcadia Structured Settlements. Visit the Berkley Industrial Comp blog for these and more.

MSAs are complicated and confusing—they even stump the specialists at times. Sometimes you just need to talk to an expert in a certain area. If you ever have a question about an MSA, Dan is happy to talk to you. Get in touch with him at Daniel.anders@towermsa.com.

Related posts

Premier Webinar: Tricks of the Trade for Successful MSA Outcomes

Medicare Set-Asides

Premier Webinar: Tricks of the Trade for Successful MSA Outcomes

July 5, 2022

details about webinar on MSA outcomes

Not all Medicare Set-Asides (MSAs) are the same. There are specialty areas for unusual cases and many questions about these:

  • Criteria for successful $0 MSA approvals
  • Whether to include PQMEs, AMEs, IMEs in the MSA
  • Use of court orders to limit medical care in the MSA
  • When and how to use the MSA Amended Review process
  • Correct verbiage for treating physician statements

Claims professionals and attorneys often receive conflicting or unclear information around these topics and other matters that make not only working with the MSA but the whole settlement process, tricky.

Tower is pleased to feature our Chief Compliance Officer Dan Anders, who will share tricks of the trade at a webinar on Wednesday, July 20, at 2:00 PM ET. Dan has written and submitted thousands of MSAs to CMS for almost two decades. His unique knowledge is an asset for anyone who uses an MSA in a case settlement.

A Q&A session will follow the presentation, and you can provide questions at the time you register. Please click the link below and register today!

REGISTER HERE

South Florida Business Journal Recognizes Tower MSA Partners as a Top 25 Women-Owned Business

June 9, 2022

banner featuring photo of CEO Rita Wilson and COO Kristine Dudley to announce Tower MSA being named to Women Owned Business list

Tower MSA Partners is recognized as a Top 25 women-owned business by South Florida Business Journal.

We know we’re good, but we enjoy external validation as much as the next guy – or woman. So, we were quite pleased to learn Tower MSA Partners not only made the South Florida Business Journal’s list of Women Owned Businesses, but we ranked among the Top 25.

The publication covers companies in the densely populated Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. When you consider how many women-owned businesses are in this market, the honor is even more impressive. A 2016 Sun Sentinel story said nearly half of all the women-owned businesses in Florida were based in this area.

Among the metrics used to produce the list is the percentage of the company that is owned by women. For Tower, that’s 100%. CEO Rita Wilson and COO Kristine Dudley co-founded the company more than 10 years ago. You can read more about the company’s start in this article.

Tower is not only women-owned but 85% of our employees, including most of our managers and supervisors are women.

Tower is also a certified member of WBENC or the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a leading non-profit organization dedicated to helping women-owned businesses thrive.

If you’d like to connect with Rita or Kristie email them at rita.wilson@towermsa.com or kristine.dudley@towermsa.com.

Tower MSA Partners Receives 2022 SOC 2 Type II Attestation

May 3, 2022

logo for AICPA. which conducts the SOC 2 Type II Audit

Independent Audit Verifies Tower MSA Partners’ Internal Controls and Processes

Delray Beach, FL – Tower MSA Partners, a Medicare Secondary Payer compliance services company, today announced that it has completed its annual SOC 2 Type II audit, performed by KirkpatrickPrice. This attestation provides evidence that Tower has a strong commitment to security and to delivering high-quality services to its clients by demonstrating that they have the necessary internal controls and processes in place.

A SOC 2 audit provides an independent, third-party validation that a service organization’s information security practices meet industry standards stipulated by the AICPA. During the audit, a service organization’s non-financial reporting controls as they relate to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of a system are reviewed, examined and reported on. The SOC 2 report delivered by KirkpatrickPrice verifies the suitability of the design and operating effectiveness of Tower MSA Partners’s controls to consistently meet the standards for these criteria throughout the full audit period.

“The SOC 2 audit is based on the Trust Services Criteria,” said Joseph Kirkpatrick, President of KirkpatrickPrice. “Tower delivers trust-based services to their clients, and by communicating the results of this audit, their clients can be assured of their reliance on Tower’s controls.”

“It’s an honor to again earn an unqualified 2022 SOC 2 Type II outcome” said Wilson. “It’s an attestation that Tower’s systems, policies and procedures meet the trust services criteria of security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.”

What does this mean for you?

  1. Peace of mind.
    If you partner with Tower, you can be assured that

    • Our human processes and our highly automated system– have been validated by third-party auditors after a stringent analysis.
    • Your data is transferred safely, used appropriately, stored securely, and is accessible for the required amount of time.
    • You can partner with a best-in-class MSP services provider and superior technology.
  2. Cybersecurity assurance. Auditors recognized Tower’s commitment to keep up with cyber threats, patching, monitoring methods and cybersecurity technology. They saw that we monitor all internal systems for patching cadence and antivirus/antimalware activity, we regularly train staff on how to avoid the latest scams, and we execute multi-factor authentication and password changes to prevent breaches. In addition, we partner with reliable and well-respected cloud storage, monitoring, and security companies.

While the complete report is confidential and proprietary, a redacted synopsis of the report, SOC 3, can be downloaded here. I’m happy to answer questions and discuss the value of partnering with Tower for your MSP compliance and MSA needs. Please contact me at Rita.Wilson@TowerMSA.com to arrange for a conversation.