Claims

The court-appointed bankruptcy trustee and the lawyer representing Baci Management Inc. - the company that stranded hundreds of patrons when shows failed to arrive at the Lyric House Opera - offered ticketholders some hope yesterday. Baci and its Baltimore entity, Performing Arts Productions, which booked a subscription series at the Lyric, filed two bankruptcy petitions last week in Maryland federal court. Bankruptcy trustee George W. Liebmann said there are roughly 300 consumer deposit claims (primarily from ticketholders)

The state insurance commissioner yesterday fined CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield $79,000 for improper denials of claims, but said a 15-month study had not established a pattern of arbitrary use of care guidelines to refuse to pay hospital bills.Mid Atlantic Medical Services Inc. (MAMSI), a Rockville health maintenance organization, was fined $10,000 for improperly refusing to pay claims.The ruling by Commissioner Steven B. Larsen stemmed from a complaint last year by the Maryland Hospital Association, charging CareFirst, the state's largest health insurer, and MAMSI with failing to pay millions of dollars in claims.

WASHINGTON -- With Americans increasingly turning to the Internet for medical information, federal officials announced stepped-up efforts yesterday to counter fraudulent online claims that promise to cure ailments from arthritis to AIDS.More than 20 million Americans look to the Internet for health information -- 70 percent of them before visiting a doctor's office, according to the Federal Trade Commission.Officials said they expect the online medical universe to expand even further in coming years, replete with both helpful and hazardous advice that is often difficult for consumers to distinguish.

WASHINGTON -- Scuttling a $1.5 billion deal to settle thousands of asbestos cases, the Supreme Court limited the authority of federal judges yesterday to accept such deals that have been put together on the theory that not enough money is available to pay every claim.For the second time in two years, the court thwarted efforts by attorneys and judges to settle masses of claims for injuries and deaths from asbestos exposure.As it did in 1997, the court suggested that Congress should write a law to deal with "the elephantine mass of asbestos cases" clogging the nation's courts.

HMOs denied $74 million in hospital claims last year, up more than 50 percent from $47 million the year before, according to a study by the Maryland Hospital Association.In 1996, only $17 million in claims were denied, according to the hospital association.While the hospitals have challenged the legality of claims denials in the past, Linda Bolton, the association's vice president for managed care and health systems integration, said yesterday that the group hopes to "work with HMOs on better strategies" for avoiding claims disputes.

A Baltimore County jury sentenced convicted killer Joseph R. Metheny to death yesterday after hearing his chilling plea for the death penalty, in which he described his murder of a city prostitute in graphic language."

Republican hopeful Bill Brock takes his U.S. Senate campaign on television today with ads that stress his service to Maryland, but fail to mention his 14 years as a U.S. senator and vTC representative from Tennessee.The handsomely produced, 30-second ads focus on Mr. Brock's later work as secretary of labor and trade representative in the Reagan administration, where he claims to have helped create thousands of jobs in Maryland.Some political analysts see the omission of Mr. Brock's congressional career as a way to duck criticism by his opponents that he is a carpetbagger.

The number of Americans filing first-time claims for jobless benefits fell slightly last week, marking the second consecutive decline.The Labor Department said yesterday that new claims forunemployment benefits dropped by 3,000 to a seasonally adjusted 332,000, the lowest level in four weeks. That followed a drop of 60,000 claims the week before -- the biggest one-week improvement in a year.But analysts cautioned against reading too much into the latest figures. The declines largely represent the aftermath of an increase of 43,000 claims two weeks earlier after General Motors Corp.

A retired Annapolis business executive recently established Claims Services Inc., offering a helping hand to hundreds of countians facinghealth-care insurance claim problems.Frederick Daley, who has experience in managing an electronics manufacturing firm, says MedClaims Services caters to persons with a substantial number of health-careinsurance claims. It is, he says, an area of activity that has been largely overlooked.MedClaims is prepared to act on behalf of anyone who must submit claims to any insurance carrier, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Medicare and companies selling "medigap" policies.

A state examination of the operation of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland from Jan. 1, 1986, through 1988 has found an "unacceptable" high level of late payment of claims by the state's largest health insurer.The report, which was done by the Maryland Insurance Division, found that in a sampling of 390 claims from May 1, 1988, through Feb. 28, 1989, 16 percent of the claims took more than 30 days to process."This percentage of claims paid outside of 30 days is unacceptable," the report said.

The first-time homebuyer credit is set to expire in several weeks, and there's a push among those in Congress and the housing industry to extend and even expand the generous credit that gives people as much as $8,000 to buy a house. But no extension should be granted unless Congress and the Internal Revenue Service deal first with issues of fraud surrounding the credit. The Treasury inspector general for tax administration last week reported that the IRS appears to have allowed tens of thousands of ineligible taxpayers - including some 4-year-olds - to claim millions of dollars in homebuyer credits.

Civilian workers who suffered devastating injuries while supporting the U.S. war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan have come home to a grinding battle for basic medical care, artificial limbs, psychological counseling and other services. The insurance companies responsible for their treatment under taxpayer-funded policies have routinely denied the most serious medical claims. Those same insurers - primarily American International Group - recorded hundreds of millions of dollars in profits on this business.

W.R. Grace & Co. said yesterday it has reached a deal worth at least $60 million to settle property damage claims filed by the owners of homes and businesses who used an attic and wall insulation manufactured by the Columbia chemical maker. The attics were insulated with Zonolite, which contained vermiculite that was contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is known to cause lung cancer and mesothelioma, a lethal tumor of the lining of the chest and abdominal cavities. Under the deal, those who used the product can be paid 55 percent of the amount of damages they've claimed in the suit, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A former employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers based in Baltimore has admitted in federal court to submitting false travel vouchers and overtime claims that cost the government up to $400,000, prosecutors said. Myron Price, 45, of Accokeek pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on Thursday to making false claims between 1998 and 2004 for his work as a physical scientist. Price faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and three years of supervision upon his release.

State insurance regulators announced yesterday a $125,000 fine against CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the state's largest health insurer, for not following state laws and regulations in its denial of claims. While some cases involved failure to pay for legitimate claims, the largest number of errors found were in claims that were denied properly, but not within the 30-day limit set by state law. "The timeliness is the thing that gives us concern," said P. Todd Cioni, associate insurance commissioner for compliance and enforcement.

The court-appointed bankruptcy trustee and the lawyer representing Baci Management Inc. - the company that stranded hundreds of patrons when shows failed to arrive at the Lyric House Opera - offered ticketholders some hope yesterday. Baci and its Baltimore entity, Performing Arts Productions, which booked a subscription series at the Lyric, filed two bankruptcy petitions last week in Maryland federal court. Bankruptcy trustee George W. Liebmann said there are roughly 300 consumer deposit claims (primarily from ticketholders)

LOS ANGELES -- Cardinal Roger M. Mahony announced yesterday that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $60 million to settle 45 claims of clergy sexual abuse. But the lead lawyer for the alleged victims said the final details of the settlement are still being negotiated. "This is very important for us," Mahony said. "This is a major effort at healing and reconciliation." Mahony said the settlement would not adversely affect parish functions or ministries. "We set aside last year $40 million for this settlement.

Intial jobless claims increased 42,000 in the week that ended May 13 to 367,000, the Labor Department said.

Numbers -- Initial jobless claims increased 42,000 in the week that ended May 13 to 367,000, the Labor Department said.

Numbers-- Claims for jobless benefits edged up 5,000, to 309,000 last week, the Labor Department reported.