New York Diagnostic Med. Care, P.C. v Geico Cas. Ins. Co., 2012 NY Slip Op 50681(U)(App. Term 2d Dept. 2012)
“The affidavit by plaintiff’s billing manager was sufficient to establish that the claim forms annexed to the motion papers were admissible pursuant to CPLR 4518 (see Art of Healing Medicine, P.C., 55 AD3d 644 [2008]; Fortune Med., P.C. v Travelers Home & Mar. Ins. Co., 14 Misc 3d 136[A], 2007 NY Slip Op 50243[U] [App Term, 9th & 10th Jud Dists 2007]), that the claim forms had been mailed to defendant within 45 days of the date services were rendered (see St. Vincent’s Hosp. of Richmond v Government Empls. Ins. Co., 50 AD3d 1123 [2008]; Delta Diagnostic Radiology, P.C. v Chubb Group of Ins., 17 Misc 3d 16 [App Term, 2d & 11th Jud Dists 2007]), and that the basis for defendant’s denials, i.e., that “written proof of claim was provided more than 45 days after the date these services were rendered” was “without merit as a matter of law.” Contrary to defendant’s contention, it is not the date of defendant’s receipt of a claim form which determines whether the submission of a claim form is untimely, but rather the date of plaintiff’s submission of the claim form (see Insurance Department Regulations [11 NYCRR] § 65 – 1.1 [“the eligible injured person or that person’s assignee . . . shall submit written [*2]proof of claim to the Company . . . in no event later than 45 days after the date services are rendered”]; see also SZ Med. P.C. v Country-Wide Ins. Co.,12 Misc 3d 52 [App Term, 2d & 11th Jud Dists 2006]; Ops Gen Counsel NY Ins Dept No. 04-02-12 [Feb. 2004]).”
2 Responses
Makes perfect sense to me
How can the insurer have the burden of proof to establish a particular “defense” at trial yet have the burden reversed on summary judgment so that the provider must disprove an affirmative defense? JT, can you provide any examples of this sort of thing outside of No-Fault?
How on earth may a provider disprove, prima facie, a medical necessity defense– or countless other non-quantized defenses– for summary judgment purposes? This new lines of cases is going to clog the courts with thousands of additional No-Fault trials. There is going to be a bunch of weird case law resulting from this that makes no sense at all because the underlying switching of burdens makes no sense at all.