Once Payment of a No-Fault Claim Submitted by the Medical Provider to the Insurer Is Overdue (Because the Insurer Has Not Timely Denied, Paid or Asked for Verification of the Claim) the Medical Provider Is Entitled to Summary Judgment Upon the Submission of Proof, in Admissible Form, that the Statutory Claim Form Was Mailed to and Received by the Insurer—The Medical Provider Need Not Submit Proof of the Validity of the Underlying Medical Services
The Court of Appeals, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Abdus-Salaam, over a dissent, determined, once a no-fault claim is overdue (because the insurance company has not denied the claim, asked for verification of the claim, or paid the claim, within the statutory time-period), the plaintiff-medical-provider is entitled to summary judgment on the overdue claims after submitting proof the statutory claim forms were mailed to and received by the insurer. There is no requirement that the plaintiff submit proof of the validity of the underlying medical services:
…[T]he Appellate Division properly determined that plaintiff met its prima facie summary judgment burden. As relevant here, to support its motion, plaintiff submitted the eight verification of treatment forms and Matatov’s affidavit. The documents submitted by plaintiff meet the business records exception to the hearsay rule.
Malatov’s [the billing agent’s] affidavit states that based on his business agreement with plaintiff, SUM Billing created the verification of treatment forms in the regular course of its business and that the forms were created soon after the services were provided by plaintiff … . Indeed, the tight timetable of the no-fault scheme requires prompt submission of proof of claim in order to receive reimbursement. Matatov’s affidavit outlines the office practices and procedures used by SUM Billing to mail claim forms to insurers and demonstrates that Matatov himself mails the forms. Matatov explained that SUM Billing relies on these forms in the performance of its business. Further, the affidavit states how and when the forms at issue here were created and that they were mailed to defendant within the statutory time frame. Thus, as plaintiff was able to demonstrate SUM Billing’s office mailing practices and procedures, “a presumption arises that those notices have been received by the insure[rs]” … . It is undisputed that defendant did not pay or deny seven out of the eight claims at issue. Consequently, those claims are overdue. Plaintiff, therefore, satisfied its burden on summary judgment by demonstrating the mailing of the proof of claim forms, and their receipt by the insurer. Viviane Etienne Med. Care v Country-Wide Ins. Co., 2015 NY Slip Op 04787, CtApp 6-10-15