VanMeveren Law Group - August 2020

VanMeveren Law Group - August 2020

Foundations 970

SOUTH 2038 Caribou Drive, Suite 101 Fort Collins, CO 80525

OLD TOWN 123 North College Ave., Suite 112 Fort Collins, CO 80524

AUGUST 2020

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Health Insurance and Your Injury Claim

We speak with folks every week who are unaware of the realities of health insurance and personal injury claims. If your medical bills were paid by the health insurance of your employer’s health plan or your personal health plan, the health insurance company or plan will likely want reimbursement out of any personal injury settlement or recovery you receive. When you receive medical care following a personal injury, your health insurer has a duty to pay for that care, pursuant to the terms of the policy. But that health “insurer” that you’ve been diligently paying premiums to every year really isn’t insurance at all, but rather, it’s a “loan” — and the insurance company wants its money back out of your settlement. This is called subrogation, and it’s written into virtually every insurance policy. It’s another reason why it’s so important to read the terms of your policy — whether it’s your health insurance policy or your auto insurance policy. There is always a chance there are terms within the policy you were unaware of or terms that the insurer did not explain. Under certain circumstances, when you’ve recovered the maximum available compensation under all liability and underinsured policies, the laws in Colorado highly disfavor subrogation claims by insurance companies, but they often attempt to assert such liens anyway. Be advised, there is also a federal law called ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974), which supersedes Colorado law. It can be quite complicated, but it generally allows a right of subrogation to health insurance plans that are wholly self-funded by your employer.

In addition, if a government entity, such as Medicare or Medicaid has paid your medical bills, they will also have a lien against your recovery. Individual health care providers who have not been paid, such as chiropractors and physical therapists, will also be seeking full payment once your case is resolved. It’s critical that your attorney understands the implications of Colorado’s “Made Whole” laws, ERISA, Medicare, Medicaid, and other liens or rights of reimbursement asserted in your case. When you retain VanMeveren Law Group to resolve your injury claims, understand we will also negotiate and minimize any liens, subrogation, and reimbursement claims asserted by your health insurers or medical providers. We want to go the extra mile for you to ensure your recovery will not be consumed by some greedy insurance company you’ve been paying premiums to for the last several years or more. By skillfully negotiating with the health insurers and medical providers, we’ll confirm you’ve complied with the contractual obligations in your policy. This will also net you a better recovery at the end of the day. It gives you one less thing to worry about as you recover and get your life back on track after an accident.

“That health ‘insurer’ that you’ve been diligently paying premiums to every year really isn’t insurance at all, but rather, it’s a ‘loan’ — and the insurance company wants its money back."

–Bryan VanMeveren

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Our Clients Say It Best

"If I could give 10 stars, I would! My husband died in March as a result of being hit by a driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel. The day after he passed, I called VanMeveren Law and was guided through the entire process every step of the way. Bryan communicated frequently by phone and was most caring and attentive to my needs and situation. Legal assistant Jenn was extremely helpful in explaining everything to me, since 'legalese' is fairly foreign to me. God willing, something like this never happens again, but if it did, I would retain VanMeveren Law without any hesitation!" –Connie Demercurio

Head Back to School Stress-Free Turn Your Entryway Into a Command Center

“Has anyone seen my backpack?”

“Dad, did you sign my permission slip?”

“Mom, I can’t find my shoes!”

This is the household anthem heard on school mornings across the United States — a chaotic rush of tracking down shoes, throwing together lunches, and racing to the bus stop. What if there was a stress-free way to make sure everyone in your family had everything they needed to walk out the door each morning? Believe it or not, it’s possible! And it all starts with turning your home’s entryway into an organized command center. Get hooked on coat racks. Building an entryway command center starts with coat racks. You should have enough hooks for every member of your family to hang their jackets, backpacks, and purses. It’s also good to have some extra hooks just in case. Get your family in the habit of hanging their belongings in the entryway rather than trailing them through the house. Create a clever shoe solution. Keeping your shoes by the door ensures that on busy mornings, the left shoe isn’t in the bedroomwhile the right shoe somehow ended up in the playroom. However, shoes can quickly pile up into a mess of their own. If there’s space in your entryway, cubbies or labeled storage bins are a great solution to make sure each kid has a designated spot for their shoes. If you don’t have storage space by the door, a wall- mounted coat rack is a great workaround. Install the rack close to the floor and have your kids hang their shoes on the hooks when they come in. To your battle stations, everyone! Make sure each member of your family has a designated spot to put their belongings in the command center, including you. Sure, you might not have homework to keep track of, but what about your keys? Your parent battle station can include a bowl for keys, a tray for newmail, and a calendar to help you monitor your weekly schedule at a glance. Organizing your entryway won’t magically make school mornings stress-free unless you consistently utilize the system. Kids will need to build the habits of leaving their shoes by the door and returning their backpacks to the hooks after they do their homework. So stick to the plan, be patient, and take it one day at a time.

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VLGWelcomes a NewMember to the Team!

Meet Amy Selcke

Amy Selcke joined VanMeveren Law Group, P.C., on May 1, 2020. She brings a great deal of civil litigation and personal injury experience to the firm, with over 25 years of legal experience. Over the last seven years, Amy has been a legal assistant and office manager. She started her legal career while she was in high school, working as a runner and receptionist. She quickly found that she had a passion for helping clients. After a couple of years working at the entry level, Amy joined a large insurance defense firm as a legal assistant in Birmingham, Alabama. Amy returned to her hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2001 where she continued to work as a legal assistant in firms focusing primarily on insurance litigation and personal injury, leading into her work at VLG. Amy is caring and compassionate. She enjoys working closely with clients and helping them navigate the legal, medical, and financial challenges they are faced with after being injured. For her, this type of legal work is very gratifying, and helping people means everything.

Amy is married and has two sons. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family in the great outdoors. She is a hands-on mom and is often driving her children to school and their many sporting activities. If she is not at the sports field on the weekend, you will find her at the lake soaking up the sun.

Inspired by DinnerAtTheZoo.com SUDOKU

Protein-Packed Breakfast Burritos

Inspired by TheToastyKitchen.com

You can make these easy freezer breakfast burritos in under an hour! They’re healthy, delicious, and perfect for mornings on the go!

Ingredients:

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2 tbsp olive oil, divided 1 medium onion, diced 1 bell pepper, diced 16 oz ground chicken

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1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

16 oz sausage

6 eggs

12 8-inch tortillas

Directions:

12 slices cheddar cheese

1.

In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan over medium heat, add chicken, sausage, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Cook for 3–4 minutes before stirring to get a brown crust on the bottom. Then, stir and continue cooking until meat is cooked through. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together.

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In another skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Pour in eggs and scramble them, cooking until no liquid remains. Set aside. Lay out the tortillas with one slice of cheddar cheese on each. Place an even amount of vegetables, meat, and eggs on every tortilla. Wrap each burrito and enjoy immediately or wrap in foil and freeze for another morning!

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Solution

970-495-9741 • 3

2038 Caribou Drive, Suite 101 Fort Collins, CO 80525 970-495-9741 www.VanMeverenLaw.com

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INSIDE This Issue

Do I Really Have to Pay My Health Insurer Back Once I Settle My Injury Claim? Page 1 3 Organization Tools for Stress-Free Mornings Page 2

There’s a New Face at VLG

Protein-Packed Breakfast Burritos Page 3

A Different Kind of Summer in Fort Collins Page 4

3 Late-Summer Events in Fort Collins

First Friday Art Walk Friday, Aug. 7 Downtown Fort Collins

While many typical summer events in Fort Collins have been postponed or canceled, there are still a few smaller events taking place — and that includes the First Friday Art Walk. Visit DowntownFortCollins.com/experience/itineraries/first- friday-art-walk/ to see which businesses are participating in this fun, family-friendly event. As with all public events that are still taking place, the use of a face mask is encouraged in public spaces.

Loveland Classic August The Lakes at Centerra

Fall Equinox Race Sunday, Sept. 20 Poudre Canyon at the Mishawaka Amphitheater & Gateway Natural Area The Fall Equinox is another set of races affected by COVID-19. This popular event is currently in the works but may be reorganized into a virtual race. The Fall Equinox includes a downhill marathon, a half-marathon, and a 5-mile race. For all the latest updates related to the Fall Equinox, be sure to check their website at EquinoxHalfMarathon.com for confirmation about the status of the race.

Many local runs have been affected by COVID-19. Some have postponed, and others have been canceled. The Loveland Classic is currently postponed to an unknown date but was tentatively set for this month. The 10K, 5K, and kids 1-mile races take place at the Lakes at Centerra (located at 2725 Rocky Mountain Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538). If you’re interested in this race, you can find updates on scheduling at LovelandClassic.com.

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