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ALBANY--Superintendent of Insurance Howard Mills has announced that the New York State Insurance Department has levied its latest round of fines against health insurers and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) for violating New York's Prompt Pay Law. In all, 22 companies were fined a total of $178,600 for failing to pay undisputed claims within a reasonable timeframe. The fines are for complaint files that were closed by the Insurance Department between Oct. 1, 2004 and March 31, 2005.
New York's Prompt Pay Law requires health insurers and HMOs to pay undisputed health insurance claims within 45 days of receipt, ensuring timely payment. Since 1998, the Insurance Department has levied nearly $6.2 million in fines against health insurers and HMOs for Prompt Pay Law violations. Health insurers and HMOs, in accordance with the statute, are also required to pay healthcare providers interest on undisputed claims in which payments are delayed.
"New York's Prompt Pay Law has been extremely effective in ensuring that consumers and medical providers are paid in a timely fashion while also reducing the number of prompt pay complaints to the Insurance Department. More consumers are seeing their health insurance claims paid on time as a result of this important law," Superintendent Mills stated.
The fines announced, by company, are:
Aetna Health Inc. $ 9,300
Affinity Health Plan $11,100
Americhoice $12,700
Centercare, Inc. $2,600
CIGNA $4,600
Community Blue $3,600
Empire $12,900
Excellus $2,000
Fidelis $2,700
GHI $8,200
GHI HMO $1,400
Guardian Life Insurance Co. $2,700
HealthNow $1,100
HIP $14,600
HealthNet $13,500
HealthPlus, Inc. $7,900
Horizon Healthcare $2,200
MDNY $2,400
MVP $1,000
Oxford $25,100
United Healthcare $26,100
Vytra $10,900
---total $178,600
Consumers and healthcare providers with prompt pay complaints should call the New York State Insurance Department's toll-free hotline at 1-800-358-9260 11-28-05
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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