A group of Orlando
chiropractors say their auto-injury referral service, SafeCare Docs, makes patient care their top priority, not getting paid.
A group of chiropractors in Orlando have created an autoinjury referral service that they hope to differentiate from companies such as 411-PAIN, Injury Helpline and 1-800-ASK-GARY.
The group’s value lies in being run by medical-care professionals, said Marc Ott, a chiropractor and one of the three founders of SafeCare Docs, rather than attorneys who have doctors on staff.
“We’re saying that our first priority is not getting paid, but making sure that you’re well,” he said.
Through its website or phone number, consumers are linked with one of about a dozen chiropractic clinics that are owned or operated by Ott, Brett Scheuplein and Brent Baldasare, who launched SafeCare Docs this summer as an LLC.
The company is marketing its services in an area of insurance that’s experienced fraud and questionable practices and industry experts are hesitant to give the endeavor their full vote of confidence.
Dr. Vidor Friedman, the past president of the Florida College of Emergency Physicians and an emergency physician in Orlando, approached the effort with some caution.
“The question I would have for them is what percentage of their [auto accident] patients end up being eligible for chiropractic care,” after the initial assessment, said Friedman.
Alexander Knapp, a senior attorney and the Director of Operations at the Dolman Law Group in Clearwater, said his firm does
“A network like this can be really helpful and effective for people who get into a car accident and don’t know a chiropractor or attorney to immediately turn to.” Alexander Knapp, Director of Operations at the Dolman Law Group
not work with referral services.
“A network like this can be really helpful and effective for people who get into a car accident and don’t know a chiropractor or attorney to immediately turn to,” Knapp said. “Certainly, you hope that people behind the network are scrupulous.”
The founders said they have a reputation to protect in the community and their setup doesn’t promote fraudulent activities.
“There’s a blot on this type of work because, unfortunately, there’s a lot of unscrupulous people, and we really have set up our clinics so our doctors don’t have an incentive to do more procedures or see more patients. They don’t own the company. They’re salaried,” said Ott.
Florida is one of only 10 states with personal injury protection — also known as PIP or no-fault — as part of auto insurance. The insurance provides immediate medical coverage of up to $10,000 after an auto accident, regardless of fault.
The law was enacted in early 1970s, and within a few decades it became a fertile breeding ground for questionable claims.
The amount Florida insurers paid for PIP benefits increased from $1.45 billion to $2.45 billion — a 70 percent increase — from 2008 to 2010, while the number of reported accidents had dropped, according to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.
To remedy the situation and despite much controversy, which still continues, state lawmakers passed a new personal injury protection law in 2012 with more strict parameters.
The new law put a 14-day limit on seeking treatment after an auto accident. It also specified types of medical professionals who could provide the assessment and treatment, excluding massage therapists and acupuncturists who were covered before. And it capped coverage for chiropractor visits at $2,500 for individuals who were not deemed to have an “emergency medical condition.”
Chiropractors also can’t declare an “emergency medical condition” that allows PIP coverage to bump up to $10,000. Instead, a doctor, osteopath, dentist, advanced registered nurse practitioner or a physician’s assistant have to make that declaration. SafeCare Doc founders said they created their referral program to fill a gap for consumers who don’t know what to do after a car accident that hasn’t resulted any major or visible injuries.
“The point of creating SafeCare was creating a resource for people after an auto accident,” said Ott. “History tells us that people are generally confused about what they should do next and how the system works.”
Ott and Scheuplein established their practice more than a decade ago under the name Integrative Physical Medicine and have grown to 11 offices across Central Florida.
One location, where Baldasare practices, is a bit different.
He and his wife founded the Affinity Health & Wellness Center — a chiropractic clinic and MedSpa — nearly two decades ago in Waterford Lakes, and more recently turned the operation of the clinic side over to Ott and Scheuplein.
Each office has a chiropractor. The network also has several physicians, including family physicians, an interventional pain management specialist, a surgeon, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
“It’s an easy, simple message for folks,” said Baldasare. “‘I’ve been in an accident. I don’t know if I need an attorney. My insurance will cover the visits, but I want to get checked first.’ If there’s an injury, we give a recommended course of treatment, and if it’s something that’s out of our scope, we’ll refer you.”