NM Insurance Bulletin 2019-017
INTEREST RATE APPLICABLE TO UNPAID CLAIMS 45 DAYS AFTER REQUIRED PROOF OF LOSS HAS BEEN FURNISHED.
ST ATE OF NEW MEXICO
OFFICE
OF SUPERINTENDENT
OF INSURANCE
!
IA.
i l...l
i- J
DEPUTY
SUPERINTENDENT
Robert E. Doucette,
Jr.
:A'51
DEPUTY
SUPERINTENDENT
Andy Romero
SUPERINTENDENT
OF INSURANCE
John G. Franchini
BULLETIN
2019-017
November
14, 2019
This Bulletin
supersedes
and replaces Bulletin
2019-010
TO:
INSURANCE
COMPANIES
AUTHORIZED
TO TRANSACT
BUSINESS
OF
INSURAJ'STCE
IN NEW MEXICO
RE:
INTEREST
RATE
APPLICABLE
TO
UNPAID
CLAIMS
45 DAYS
AFTER
REQUIRED
PROOF
OF LOSS HAS BEEN
FURNISHED
THIS
BULLETIN
is issued pursuant to NMSA
1978, e) 59A-2-8,
and 13.1.2.8 NMAC,
et seq.
The New Mexico
Insurance Code, at NMSA
1978, ยง 59A-16-21(B),
provides:
Notwithstanding
any provision
of the Insurance Code, any insurer issuing any
policy, certificate
or contract of insurance, surety, guaranty or indemnity
of any
kind or nature which fails for a period of forty-five
days, after required proof of
loss has been furnished,
to pay to the person entitled the amount justly
due shall be
liable for the amount due and unpaid with interest on that amount at the rate of one
and one-half
times the prime lending
rate as determined
by the superintendent,
for
New Mexico
banks per year during the period the claim is unpaid.
The New Mexico
Administrative
Code, at 13.10.22.12(0)
NMAC,
provides:
Each contract shall provide
that a MHCP failing
to pay a health care professional
or failing
to pay a covered person for out of pocket covered expenses within
fortyfive days after a clean claim has been received
by the MHCP shall be liable for the
amount due and unpaid with interest on that amount at the rate of one and one half
times the rate established
by a bulletin
entered by the superintendent
in January of
Main Office: 1120 Paseo de Peralta, Room 428, Santa Fe, NA/I87501
Satellite Office:
6200 Uptown
Blvd NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque,
NM 87110
Main Phone: (505) 827-4601
Satellite Phone: (505) 322-2186
Toll Free: (855) 4 - ASK - OSI
www.osi.state.nm.us
B U L L E l- I N
" 0 1 9 - O l 7
P F1
g '-'
2
each
calendar year.
For the purposes
of tliis
section, "clean
claim" means
a
manually
or electronically
submitted claim that contains
all the required data
elements
necessary
for
accurate
adjudication
without
the need
for
additional
information
from outside of the MHCP's
system and contains no deficiency
or
impropriety,
including
lack of substantiating
documentation
currently
required
by
tlie MHCP, or particular
circumstances
requiring
special treatment
that prevents
timely
payment from being made by the MHCP.
On June 27, 2019, the Superintendent
issued Bulletin
No. 2019-010,
having detennined
that the
statutory
interest rate on unpaid claims was 8.25%.
On October 30, 2019, the Federal Reserve
changed the prime lending
rate to 4.75%.
Due to the recent change in the prime lending
rate, commencing
November
1, 2019, the
interest
rate applicable
to the referenced
statute and rule is 7.125%.
This rate shall remain in
effect until superseded by a subsequent
bulletin
specifying
a different
rate.
An insurer that owes
interest pursuant to the above referenced
statute or rule shall use the rate specified in tis rate
bulletin.
The Superintendent
intends to publish an interest rate bulletin
at least once per year.
The
Superintendent
may publish interest rate bulletins
more frequently
if the prime lending rate
materially
fluctuates,
or less frequently
if the prime lending
rate remains stable.
Please direct your questions regarding
this bulletin
to Anna Krylova
at (505) 827-4529,
or via email at anna.krylova(istate.nm.us.
ISSUED this 14"' day of November, 2019.
5HN G. FRANCHINI
SUPERINTENDENT
OF INSURANCE
Main Office: 1120 Paseo de Peralta, Room 428, Santa Fe, NM
87501
Satellite Office:
6200 Uptown
Blvd NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque,
NM 87110
Main Phone: (505) 827-4601 i Satellite Phone: (505) 322-2186i Toll Free: (855) 4 - ASK - OSI
www.osi.state.nm.us