Healthcare contract disputes
A contract both sides are still living with, read before anyone treats the disagreement as a lawsuit.
Certified Mediator (Civil)
A certified civil mediator for healthcare disputes the parties want to settle without a trial.
Joseph Rivet is a certified civil mediator. Mediation is a private session with a neutral. The parties decide whether to agree. The mediator does not issue a ruling.
Reviewed by Joseph Rivet · October 3, 2026
The Challenge
A settlement conversation, not a ruling
Mediation does not decide who is right. It is a chance to hear the other side and to see whether a settlement is better than the next step in the case.
Reimbursement and payment disagreements
A short payment or a denied claim the parties would rather settle than try.
Employment and professional-service disputes
An offer, a departure, or a covenant the parties want to talk through with a neutral.
Pre-suit and pending civil matters
A session while the case is still a demand, or after it has already been filed.
Who We Help
Who this work is for
These sessions usually grow out of the same work the firm already does: a payment that does not match the record, a contract both sides still have to live with, or a professional relationship that has broken down. The mediator’s job is to help the parties test a settlement, not to represent either of them.
- Providers and payors in a reimbursement or contract dispute
- Practices and employed clinicians at odds over an agreement
- Parties who already have counsel and want a neutral session
- Organizations that want a settlement conversation before a public case
Our Process
First steps you can take today
These steps organize the file. They are not a substitute for counsel.
- 1
Confirm both sides want a mediator and can attend.
- 2
Gather the contract, the demand, and the last offer.
- 3
Name who has authority to settle.
- 4
Agree on the date, the place or video link, and how the fee is split.
A settlement conversation, not a ruling
Mediation does not decide who is right. It is a chance to hear the other side and to see whether a settlement is better than the next step in the case.
Each party should have its own lawyer for advice about the terms. If Rivet Health Law already represents one side, it does not also mediate that dispute.
What makes a session useful
Bring the contract or the remittance, a short statement of what each side wants, and someone who can settle or who knows how to get authority.
A session can end in signed terms or in no agreement. No agreement is a result. It means the parties now know the case is going on.
Common questions
- Does the mediator represent either party?
- No. A mediator is a neutral. The firm does not mediate a dispute in which it already represents one of the parties.
- Does a mediation end the case?
- Only if the parties sign terms they intend to keep. The session can also end with no agreement.
- Is this limited to healthcare?
- The certification is civil mediation. The firm’s work is healthcare, so that is the setting these sessions usually come from.
800 E. Ellis Road, Ste 515, Norton Shores, MI 49441
(231) 799-4870
rivethealthlaw.com
Before the session
6 itemsWhat to have ready
A mediation moves faster when these are settled before the day of the session.
Check items off as you collect them. Your progress is saved on this device.
This sheet is a gather list for your own file. It is not legal advice.
Industries
This page is educational. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Facts, contracts, and appeal windows control the next step.