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Sponsors
History
- Referred to insurance
- Print number 4724a
- Amend and recommit to insurance
- Referred to insurance
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Relates to verification of claims made under the comprehensive motor vehicle insurance reparations act
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Latoya Joyner
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S4724A
Title of bill
An act to amend the insurance law, in relation to verification of claims made under the comprehensive motor vehicle insurance reparations act
Summary of provisions
This legislation will allow injured accident victims to continue receiving the No-Fault benefits they need and are entitled to, if they can provide a reasonable justification for missing an examination or are willing to reschedule a missed examination within a reasonable time period.
This legislation will also protect hospitals by ensuring that payment for emergency medical care provided within 48 hours - that hospitals are obligated to provide - shall not be denied simply because an accident victim subsequently failed to appear for an examination.
Justification
Increasingly, insurance carriers are denying critical no fault benefits to injured auto accident victims simply for missing a single medical examination or examination under oath. At the most basic level, this practice is unfair to New Yorkers who have already been suffered as a result of an auto accident. An innocent injured accident victim should not be denied the critical benefits they need if they have a valid reason for not appearing at an examination and are willing to comply with an examination request.
This practice also undermines the No-Fault system, which was created to ensure that victims of auto accidents would be quickly compensated for all basic economic loss, including specifically the costs of medical care, without regard to fault. Many accident victims denied access to No-Fault benefits, for no good cause, will be forced instead to rely on taxpayers to cover their medical expenses through Medicare and other State assistance programs. Injured accident victims will no longer be assured the swift compensation No-Fault law was designed to guarantee, and New Yorkers will pick up the tab.
The costs of this practice also fall on health care providers who are being denied payment for treatments already provided to accident victims. Hospitals that provide emergency care in the immediate after-math of an auto accident are particularly at risk as they are obligated to provide that care but can be denied payment if an accident victim misses an examination months later.
By stopping insurance carriers cutting off critical benefits in circumstances where accident victims are willing to comply with requests for examinations or other verifications, this legislation will strengthen the No-Fault system and protect innocent injured victims of auto accidents. This legislation will also protect emergency care providers, by ensuring that emergency medical bills, incurred in the first 48 hours after an accident will be paid.
Legislative history
This is a new bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.