New York's highest court of appeals has held that no-fault insurers cannot deny no-fault benefits where they unilaterally determine that a provider has committed misconduct based upon alleged fraudulent conduct. The Court held that this authority belongs solely to state regulators, specifically New York's Board of Regents, which oversees professional licensing and discipline. This follows a similar recent ruling in Florida reported in this publication.
Georgia DC Places Second in Rock-Climbing Competition
Roswell, Georgia DC James Schantz earned a silver medal at the 10th Annual Georgia Games Rock Climbing Championship. The event was part of the Georgia Games, a statewide sporting competition featuring 43 events.
The rock climbing was on a man-made surface and Dr. Schantz competed in the men's 35 years and older recreational division. Climbers were awarded points for progressing up a prescribed route while avoiding off-route holds or resting on the rope.
Dr. Schantz has been mountain climbing since 1971, but this was his first sanctioned competition. "The difference between real mountain climbing and a climbing competition is that you want the guy ahead of you not to fall when you are on a mountain, but in a competition you want the guy ahead of you to fall as many times as possible."
Dr. Schantz's next climbing challenge is to scale the third highest peak in North America (Mt. Orizaba in Mexico) in November 2001. He will be joined by members of the Atlanta Climbing Club, of which he is the current president.