In the personal injury world, and in particular workers' compensation cases, workers' compensation Medicare set-aside arrangements (WCMSAs), better known as "Medicare set-asides" (MSAs) are an issue few lawyers enjoy dealing with. But how they are accounted for and dealt with in connection with clients' settlements will have a significant impact on clients' future medical care and their financial situations.

Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidelines regarding MSAs that sent shockwaves through the workers' compensation community. While CMS clarified those new guidelines within a few months, injured workers and their advocates still face uncertainty about what CMS requires when it comes to MSAs.