July 22, 2010

Astoria Wellness Med., P.C. v Progressive Northeastern Ins. Co. (2010 NY Slip Op 51333(U))

Headnote

The relevant facts considered by the court were that Astoria Wellness Medical, P.C. was seeking to recover assigned first-party no-fault benefits, but the defendant argued that the acupuncture services were rendered by a professional service corporation owned by a doctor who was not licensed to perform acupuncture. The main issue decided in this case was whether the plaintiff was eligible for reimbursement of the no-fault benefits because the acupuncture services were allegedly rendered by a licensed acupuncturist employed by the plaintiff. The court ultimately affirmed the lower court's decision to grant the defendant's motion for summary judgment and deny the plaintiff's cross motion as moot, based on a similar case with similar facts. Therefore, the holding of the case was that the defendant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint was affirmed.

Reported in New York Official Reports at Astoria Wellness Med., P.C. v Progressive Northeastern Ins. Co. (2010 NY Slip Op 51333(U))

Astoria Wellness Med., P.C. v Progressive Northeastern Ins. Co. (2010 NY Slip Op 51333(U)) [*1]

Astoria Wellness Med., P.C. v Progressive Northeastern Ins. Co.

2010 NY Slip Op 51333(U) [28 Misc 3d 133(A)]

Decided on July 22, 2010

Appellate Term, Second Department

Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.

This opinion is uncorrected and will not be published in the printed Official Reports.

Decided on July 22, 2010

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

APPELLATE TERM: 2nd, 11th and 13th JUDICIAL DISTRICTS

PRESENT: : WESTON, J.P., GOLIA and STEINHARDT, JJ
2009-211 K C.

Astoria Wellness Medical, P.C. as Assignee of Walter Rosales and TATIANA AUSTIN, Appellant,
against
Progressive Northeastern Ins. Co., Respondent.

Appeal from an order of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Kings County (Kathryn E. Freed, J.), entered May 5, 2008. The order granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint and denied, as moot, plaintiff’s cross motion for summary judgment.

ORDERED that the order is affirmed without costs.

In this action by a provider to recover assigned first-party no-fault benefits, defendant, insofar as is relevant to this appeal, moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint on the ground that the acupuncture services at issue were rendered by plaintiff, a professional service corporation, which is owned solely by a doctor who is neither licensed nor certified to perform acupuncture. Plaintiff cross-moved for summary judgment, arguing that it is eligible for reimbursement of such no-fault benefits because the acupuncture services were rendered by a licensed acupuncturist employed by plaintiff. The court granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment and denied plaintiff’s cross motion as moot. This appeal ensued.

As the pertinent facts of this case are the same as those in Quality Med. Care, P.C. v New York Cent. Mut. Fire Ins. Co. (26 Misc 3d 139[A], 2010 NY Slip Op 50262[U] [App Term, 2d, 11th & 13th Jud Dists 2010]), for the reasons stated in that case, the order, insofar as appealed from, is affirmed.

Weston, J.P., Golia and Steinhardt, JJ., concur.
Decision Date: July 22, 2010