What Are...Medicare and Medicaid Secondary Payer Laws? is an addition to the Health Law Section's popular "What Is?" Series. As with other books in the series, this book provides the reader background information. Medicare was established in 1965 to provide federally funded health insurance for people age 65 and older. Prior to the Medicare Secondary Payer Act (MSP Act), Medicare was the primary payer (i.e., Medicare paid first) for its beneficiaries' claims with limited exceptions—such as situations where claims were covered by workers' compensation.

As you read this book you will see how Medicare and Medicaid laws have evolved over the past several decades. The majority of the book explains Medicare's secondary payer recovery rights under Medicare Parts A and B, "traditional Medicare." However, did you know the program is comprised of four separate parts: Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D?

This book serves as an introductory source as well as an intermediate resource for anyone that wants the most up to date information on Medicare secondary payer programs, U.S. Supreme Court decisions regarding the programs, statutory changes, regulatory rule implementations, and current trends in the practical application of MSP laws.