If you were subscriber of a Florida HMO from whom Diversified Ambulance Billing collected or attempted to collect money with respect to a charge that was not owed by you, your rights may be affected by a class action settlement.
A class action settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit pending against Diversified Ambulance Billing, LLC and Diversified Ambulance Billing—Southeast, Inc. (collectively “Diversified Ambulance Billing” or “DAB” or ’”Defendant”) in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (styled Ryder v. Diversified Ambulance Billing, LLC, et al., Class Action Case No. 8:09-CV-2058-T-27TGW) alleging, among other things, that Diversified Ambulance Billing, a nationwide billing company for ambulance services, on behalf of its ambulance service provider clients and contrary to Florida law prohibiting balance billing of Florida HMO subscribers, billed Florida HMO subscribers for the balance of its clients’ bills, other than for co-payments and deductibles, which are required to be paid by the subscribers, purportedly in violation of the federal Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §1692, et seq. (“FDCPA”), the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act, Fla. Stat. §559.55, et seq. (“FCCPA”), and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, Fla. Stat. §501.201, et seq. (“FDUTPA”), according to the class action settlement notice.
Diversified Ambulance Billing balance billing class action lawsuit settlement class members reportedly include the following persons, unless otherwise excluded:
All persons in the State of Florida who were subscribers of a Florida HMO from whom DAB collected or attempted to collect money with respect to a Relevant Charge that was not owed by the subscriber
from October 8, 2005 through July 8, 2010.
The Diversified Ambulance Billing balance billing class action settlement reportedly provides that Diversified Ambulance Billing has agreed to reimburse class members for the amount of any payment actually paid to Diversified Ambulance Billing by Class Members in respect to a Relevant Charge above his or her co-payment or deductible, if any, and an additional $10.00, representing a portion of the statutory damages available to the settlement Class under the FDCPA and the FCCPA. Settlement class members who wish to make a claim for benefits reportedly must submit a claim form postmarked no later than March 4, 2011, to the class action settlement Administrator.
Under the class action settlement Diversified Ambulance Billing has also agreed to implement new policies and procedures in connection with the operation of their businesses that will directly affect the collection of payments by Defendants from Florida HMO subscribers.
On February 14, 2011, at 3:00 p.m. a class action settlement hearing will be held before the Honorable James D. Whittemore, United States District Judge, at the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Sam M. Gibbons U.S. Courthouse, Courtroom 13B, 801 North Florida Ave., Tampa, FL 33602 for the Court to decide whether the proposed Diversified Ambulance Billing settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate and should be approved; whether a final judgment should be entered dismissing the Diversified Ambulance Billing lawsuit and releasing class members’ claims; and, if the Diversified Ambulance Billing settlement is approved, the amount of attorneys’ fees and expenses that should be awarded to Class Counsel, and incentive award that should be approved for the Class Representative.
For more information on the Diversified Ambulance Billing balance billing class action lawsuit settlement and/or for updates on the Diversified Ambulance Billing class action settlement, visit the Diversified Ambulance Billing balance billing class action settlement website:
www.dabsettlement.com
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