Tulsa Company Hit With Record Fine

A Tulsa-based company has been fined a record $133,000 for violating an order to stop operating without a license. <br><br>The fine was ordered for Managed Care Administrators, a third-party administrator

Friday, March 1st 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A Tulsa-based company has been fined a record $133,000 for violating an order to stop operating without a license.

The fine was ordered for Managed Care Administrators, a third-party administrator operated by Heritage National Insurance Co., state Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher said Thursday.

The fine is the largest assessed by the state Insurance Department for violating a cease and desist order.

Fisher said Heritage National is the focus of a pending receivership application in Oklahoma County District Court. Some insurance companies use third party administrators to pay claims or provide other services needed to operate. Managed Care Administrators administered claims for Heritage National.

In his order, Leamon Freeman, retired Oklahoma County District Court judge acting as an independent hearing examiner, said MCA should be assessed $133,000 for operating nearly two months in violation of the cease and desist order.

In August, Fisher ordered Heritage National to stop using Managed Care Administrators because it was not properly licensed, he said. Heritage continued to use the administrator until it was placed into conservatorship on Nov. 9, Fisher said.