A Conversation with Connor Beer

In CASEpeer's latest webinar, “Maximizing the value of your cases with verified medical damages,” our CEO Gabriela Cubeiro sat down with Connor Beer, Director of Business Development for AccuMed Healthcare Research. The two discuss how AccuMed helps law firms defend future and current medical treatment, how verified medical bills can streamline negotiations and reduce the need for litigation, when should you use AccuMed, and much more. 

AccuMed Healthcare Research is a healthcare data analytics platform that provides injury attorneys with local charges from physicians and facilities. This data is used to estimate future surgical costs as well as defend plaintiff medical bills from defense counsel trying to reduce and reprice the billed amount.

AccuMed separates itself as a data analytics platform. They pull data from physicians and facilities within a 30-mile radius of their client to provide an average cost of procedures in that location. With this data, AccuMed is able to provide extremely accurate cost estimates for medical bills which helps enhance the value of any case that has a future recommendation for surgery. Ultimately, they help clients battle insurance companies when the insurance companies are trying to re-price their medical bills. 

AccuMed is not just a service, it’s a technology platform that provides immediate access to medical cost information. The new platform is very accessible and allows clients to search procedures without any restrictions or having to log in to a portal. The platform is able to show you exactly what an estimated medical bill from a doctor is worth. 

Connor explains that insurance companies have historically used services similar to AccuMed, but use Medicare rates and proprietary information. AccuMed is able to prove where their data is coming from, thus making it hold up very well in court. Unlike many insurance companies, AccuMed uses holistic data that will give you collateral against an insurance company. 

Another component of AccuMed’s business operations is the expert witness network. AccuMed has expert witnesses across the country who have to go through a rigorous training and education process to become experts. It takes two to three months until AccuMed’s experts are familiar with the reports and the way AccuMed presents data. Connor shares that AccuMed’s expert witnesses are 85% on the plaintiff side and 15% on the defense side. He explains that AccuMed gets involved in the defense side by trying to monitor the outrageous amounts physicians are billing for medical procedures. 

Gabriela proposes if attorneys should be concerned about a medical cost estimation service establishing pricing precedents in personal injury law. Connor assures that attorneys should not because the information and data that AccuMed obtains is highly confidential. The idea around AccuMed is fairly new for a lot of attorneys and may be difficult to understand. 

Connor makes the point that it may be difficult for one to change their process for managing cases if they are already in a routine and do not see a need to change it. He reassures the audience that AccuMed’s services will make case management more efficient and cost-effective. 

Connor shared a memorable experience he had with a client who was able to earn a large settlement by utilizing the technology and data provided by AccuMed. This outcome was only possible because the client was able to utilize AccuMed's platform and data to better negotiate a fair settlement. AccuMed is beneficial to its clients because it gives them strongly backed data that will help get them the settlement they deserve. Watch the full webinar for more valuable insights from this conversation with Gabriela Cubeiro and Connor Beer.