Opinion ID: 2648174
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Patricia Haro

Text: Patricia Haro was injured in a car accident and Medicare paid for her medical treatment. Haro filed a personal injury claim against the tortfeasor, which eventually settled. Medicare, through the Medicare Secondary Payer Recovery Contractor,1 sought reimbursement of $1,682.72 in a letter dated January 12, 2009. The letter informed Haro of her right to appeal the reimbursement determination or seek waiver but also stated that Haro “must” pay within 60 days and that interest would start to run if payment was not made in that period. The letter encouraged Haro to pay the amount in full, even if she decided to appeal or seek a waiver, in order to avoid interest charges. 1 The Medicare Secondary Payer Recovery Contractor is a private contractor that collects secondary payment reimbursements on behalf of Medicare. For simplicity, this opinion refers to both entities as Medicare. HARO V. SEBELIUS 11 Haro disputed the reimbursement determination by letter dated January 21, 2009. Haro’s lawyer sent a second letter, on February 2, 2009. In it, he argued that the reimbursement provision did not grant the Secretary authority to seek payment from a beneficiary within 60 days of notice of the settlement if the beneficiary had appealed the reimbursement determination. The letter also argued that the Due Process Clause prohibits takings of property before there has been a determination of rights to that property. Medicare reduced Haro’s reimbursement amount to $696.13 by letter dated March 3, 2009. On March 4, 2009, likely before Haro received notice of the revised reimbursement figure, Haro sent Medicare a check for $800. Haro did not seek reconsideration of Medicare’s reduced reimbursement amount and instead filed this lawsuit on March 10, 2009. Medicare reimbursed Haro $103.87 (the difference between $800 and $696.13) on April 13, 2009.