Phia Group Russo & Minchoff

Self-Insured N.J. Government Entity Can’t Access Tort Judgment Proceeds

bhoffman | August 25, 2010

Coordination of Benefits Handbook
We are familiar with cases where ERISA and state laws conflict. As we know, self-insured health plans that are subject to ERISA may avoid the application of state laws because of ERISA preemption. As we have seen in our analysis of the case Bash v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. on [...]

New Jersey Collateral Source Rule Does Not Bar Medicare’s Recovery of Health Benefits

bhoffman | August 25, 2010

Coordination of Benefits Handbook
Medicare clearly has a right of reimbursement of payments it made for medical services when a third party is determined to have responsibility for those expenses. 42 U.S.C. 1395y(b)(2). New Jersey’s collateral source rule provides that if a person receives benefits for injuries from any source other than a joint tortfeasor, those [...]

Court Moves Forward Claim Employer Interfered with Health Benefits

Adam V. Russo | January 29, 2010

January 22, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – A federal court has refused to dismiss a claim by a Jersey Construction employee that he was fired for pursuing health benefits for his wife’s chemotherapy.
The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey said it found that Christian Pailleret stated sufficient facts to support a prima facie case [...]

State Laws for Balance Billing

Adam V. Russo | February 4, 2009

Forty-seven states ban in-network providers from billing insured patients more than their required copayment or deductible and federal law prohibits providers from billing Medicare beneficiaries for unpaid balances. Some states also ban additional charges for insured patients who seek care from out-of-network providers and emergency departments. While national statistics on the practice are unavailable, economists [...]

New Subro Laws Among Auto Policies

Adam V. Russo | June 11, 2008

Colorado:
June 5, 2008, Colorado Governor, Bill Ritter approved Senate Bill 11, abolishing subrogation for all medical payment coverage under auto insurance policies to be in effect of January 1, 2009.  The new Colorado law will be in effect as of January 1, 2009.

The Purchase of Stop-Loss From a Reinsurer Will Not Void ERISA Status

Adam V. Russo | November 13, 2007

On September 25, 2007, a Federal District Court in New Jersey held in Mulholland v. UFCW Local 1776 Participating Employers Health and Welfare Fund, 2007 WL 2814648 (DNJ) that the purchase of stop loss insurance does not preclude self-funded ERISA status. The court went on to say that because self-funded plans can come close to [...]