The law firm of Russell Friedman Law Group, LLP is representing hospitals, in which payment, correspondence or denial has not been received from GEICO Insurance Company. GEICO utilizes a remote location in Frederickberg, Virginia as an address for the submission of hospital bills related to no fault coverage afforded in New York State.
It is believed that the mail center in Frederickberg, Virginia, and the scanning being used to store and transmit received bills to a local claims office for handling, is and has been subject to errors not being disclosed by this carrier. The firm has been able to establish a pattern of non-receipt being alleged by this carrier. This pattern was established solely by the firm’s filing for arbitration the bills of its hospital clients. This pattern has led to a series of complaints being filed against GEICO Insurance Company with the Department of Financial Services, whose insurance division regulates no fault insurance companies.
Of course, having the insurance department aware of an issue is of importance to the public, but it does not get the outstanding balances paid. In fact, this carrier is fighting each and every filing made, claiming non-receipt, wherever and whenever possible. It is failing to provide details regarding its process. It is hiring outside counsels to defeat the need for payment to be made.
It takes a firm like The Russell Friedman Law Group, LLP to illustrate the magnitude of this issue, and come up with strategies to seek payment. In one day in September, hospital clients had in excess of one hundred thousand dollars in arbitration, where a carrier was arguing “The bill was not received”. So, when they do not have your initial bill, you send in a second submission. You feel this solves the problem. How many of you have received a denial for late submission after you send in your second submission?
Please recognize that this argument, absent a specific proof of mailing, requires a sophisticated firm to deal with the issue raised. This includes developing a knowledge of your system for mailing, the personnel responsible, and placing this information into a format that will be understood by an Arbitrator.
Russell Friedman and Associates has taken on zero balance/ payment programs for its clients currently and in the past. It is a unique opportunity when we can point a client to a specific carrier where a higher level of possible recovery exists. If there is an interest in exploring our firm’s capabilities in this area, please feel free to arrange for a free consultation.
