Fox Insurance Company Awarded $3.3 Million in Arbitration Against Former Pharmacy Benefit Manager

NEW YORK, Dec. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Fox Insurance Company, a Medicare Part D provider, with offices in New York, NY, announces a judgment in the arbitration between the company and ProCare, its former pharmacy benefit manager, in excess of $3.3 million, following a suit against ProCare based on Fox's allegations of negligence and breach of contract. 

Nathan M. Barotz, chairman of Fox Insurance Company commented: "Fox Insurance is gratified for the judgment in arbitration, as it clearly supports Fox's ongoing assertion that it was ProCare's failure to carry out its duties under its contract with Fox, and not any failure of Fox Insurance Company, that resulted in the improper denial of claims."

The November 22, 2011 arbitration award includes a finding that ProCare breached the Client Services Agreement (CSA) between the companies. ProCare was cited as failing to have software to carry out Fox's instructions (as well as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements) regarding prior authorization and high cost edits, and incorrectly informing Fox that it had fixed the problems with its software.

Fox had presented evidence that ProCare's claims processing system returned thousands of drug claims to pharmacies with the message that prior authorization was required, when no such requirement was in place – including on certain "protected class" medications that would never have such a designation.  This caused the rejection of thousands of claims. 

Fox also demonstrated that it had repeatedly asked ProCare to upgrade its software in order to satisfy CMS requirements and instructions regarding prior authorization and protected class drugs.  While ProCare had informed Fox that these upgrades had occurred, they had, in fact, not, which may have threatened Fox's standing with CMS. 

These claim denials drove CMS to take action against Fox in 2010, which resulted in the termination of its contract as a Medicare Part D provider.  Fox maintained that these denied claims, which were the impetus behind CMS's actions, were caused by ProCare's negligence and not any direct actions by Fox itself.  This assertion was the focal point of the arbitration between Fox and ProCare, with the award resulting in findings that ProCare breached the CSA, improperly withheld rebates owed to Fox, and must collect and turn over to Fox sums identified in a Fraud, Waste and Abuse (FWA) audit of the pharmacies in ProCare's pharmacy network.

Contact:
Jules Abraham
JQA Partners, LLC
917-885-7378
[email protected]

SOURCE Fox Insurance Company