There may be no company in the workers’ comp space with a worse reputation than Three Rivers Provider Network DirectPay (TRPN).

But this discount contracting entity still can’t seem to hit bottom.

TRPN sent an unintelligible, grammatically unhinged 7-page fax to a provider referencing the No Surprises Act, a federal law passed in 2021 to curb unexpected medical bills for patients. According to the fax and attached contract, TRPN offers a new software application for providers to use to submit bills — in exchange for 10% of the provider’s revenue.

Supposedly, this application “stops Silent Discounts” to “fulfill” the No Surprises Act (which does not apply to workers’ compensation). If that sounds like it doesn’t make a lick of sense, that’s because it doesn’t.

Nor does the rest of the rambling, randomly capitalized, barely-qualified-as-written-English message seemingly crafted by a severely inebriated chatbot. Worst of all, the contract references a check from TRPN that, if deposited, automatically locks the provider into the contract’s terms.

This would not be TRPN’s first instance of mailing random checks to practices as a means of trapping providers in extremely bad contracts. While various organizations throughout the United States have cried foul regarding TRPN’s past schemes, there is little to protect doctors from being roped into the latest scheme in 2024.

Doctors, instruct your administrative staff to inspect every check that comes to your practice. If you use a lock box, be aware that you may be subject to automatic enrollment in a TRPN contract.

As always, if any correspondence comes to your practice from TRPN DirectPay, treat it with the appropriate amount of suspicion.

TRPN’s Gonzo Letter and Contract

The fax from TRPN comes with a cover sheet promising “quite significant” “benefits” from its recently “completed” “Claims Submission Application.”

TRPN promotes that, in exchange for 10% of provider revenue, this recently completed application prevents “Silent Discounts.” And somehow, this 10% revenue reduction has something to do with the No Surprises Act. And somehow, TRPN expects these claims to sound coherent to rational adults.  

The TRPN contract's fine print included with the fax explains that the physician owes TRPN 10% of revenue collected from auto, workers’ compensation, and group health bills in exchange for TRPN stopping silent network discounts.

Beware of TRPN DirectPay Checks!

While we hope no providers or staff have been swayed by TRPN’s more ridiculous…let’s call it “marketing material,” the network has a more dangerous gambit up its sleeve.

The contract references a check which, if cashed, constitutes the provider’s agreement to all terms and conditions included in the contract. To their knowledge, the provider who received this fax has not received this check — but TRPN has been known to send such checks separately.

Providers, be absolutely sure that whoever deposits checks for your practice, be it administrative staff or a separate remittance processing service, knows to refrain from cashing any check from TRPN DirectPay. 

If you use a lockbox, be aware that TRPN is mailing providers these checks and proceed accordingly.

TRPN DirectPay: A History of Deception

TRPN has been making suspicious offers since at least 2007, to some apparent success.

With practices described by the California Medical Association as “illegal” and “deceptive,” TRPN has inspired alerts from the New York chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), a cease-and-desist order from at least one state Insurance Commissioner, and even a surprise visit from the IRS.

Last year, daisyNews published a series of articles on TRPN’s attempts to bait providers into contracts with highly unfavorable terms by sending checks that — according to TRPN’s crack legal team — automatically execute the contracts once deposited.

Fortunately, providers have been successful in pushing back against this particular scam.

Is it possible now that TRPN is attempting to cash in on positive perceptions of a recently passed bill, even though it has little or nothing to do with TRPN’s dubious offers?

Don’t be the next victim. Be sure that someone in your practice looks at every check before depositing, with an eye out for surprise payments from the gaggle of bottom-feeders* who constitute TRPN DirectPay.

*For legal reasons, daisyBill would like to clarify that this statement is not meant to disparage or defame any actual bottom-feeding species, including but not limited to catfish, sea anemones, and the North American ark clam.

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