NEWS

July 26, 2024

January 12, 2024

For years, medical providers and doctors have been underpaid by major insurance companies. In the case of South Coast Specialty Surgery Center, Inc., v. Blue Cross of California, the 9th Circuit recently ruled in favor of the plaintiff whom we represented. This landmark decision has significant implications for medical providers’ rights, specifically their ability to pursue ERISA benefit recovery actions under the assignments they receive from their patients. We believe that the legal arguments presented in this case, along with the 9th Circuit’s decision, provide a unique perspective on the evolving landscape of healthcare law. Our main counsel on this case, MINA HAKAKIAN ESQ., played a pivotal role in securing this victory. Congrats MINA on winning the oral arguments!

July 28, 2022

WILLIAMS WOLLITZ HAKAKIAN PC. would like to congratulate MINA HAKAKIAN on being named partner at the firm.
MRS. HAKAKIAN is an accomplished business and insurance trial litigator, and the head of our healthcare provider insurance recovery practice. She comes from a family of doctors and understands firsthand the numerous issues that healthcare services providers face in regards to receiving payment in our modern environment of ERISA Plans and large insurance company payers. She is an expert in regards to billing, the administrative claims process for benefits payment, as well as framing a winning appeal of a denied or underpaid claim.

December 19, 2020

MINA HAKAKIAN was recently interviewed by Law360 regarding the victory secured by WILLIAMS Law Firm PC. in the case Beverly Oaks Physicians Surgical Center LLC v. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois et al., in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In the interview, MINA believes that the Ninth Circuit's opinion is "well-grounded in law" and "will provide a major benefit to providers in the efficient recovery of benefits and payment of healthcare services."
"The most important aspect of this decision is that if an insurer wishes to assert an anti-assignment clause defense, it must do so in the claim administrative process. An insurer cannot wait to assert the clause for the first time after a provider sues the insurer in benefits recovery litigation.” The lawsuit, brought under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, stems from Blue Cross' decision to pay Beverly Oaks just $130,000 of the $1.4 million billed to it for 14 patients' procedures.

July 1, 2020

Tremendous news out of the Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit for our client, California Spine and Neurosurgery Institute for the case, Cal. Spine & Neurosurg. Inst. v. Blue Cross of California. The Ninth Circuit sided with our argument and accordingly reversed the district court’s judgment as to waiver and vacated the judgment as to equitable estoppel. The court further ordered the lower court to consider the remaining estoppel factors on remand.
Watch the decision here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJbrwQEc5EQ

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