§671-16.6 - Submission of claim to an alternative dispute resolution provider.
[§671-16.6] Submission of claim to an alternative dispute resolution provider. (a) Any claim initially filed with the medical claim conciliation panel may be subsequently submitted to an alternative dispute resolution provider upon the written agreement of all of the parties to the claim and with the written approval of the director. The director shall approve the alternative dispute resolution provider and the alternative dispute resolution procedures.
(b) The parties shall comply with the procedures established by the alternative dispute resolution provider and approved by the director. If a party does not comply with those procedures, any other party may file a motion with the director to have the claim resubmitted to the medical claim conciliation panel.
(c) Within thirty days after the completion of the alternative dispute resolution process, the alternative dispute resolution provider shall notify all parties concerned, their counsel, and the representative of each health care provider's liability insurance carrier authorized to act for the carrier, as appropriate, that the alternative dispute resolution process has been completed.
(d) The claimant may institute litigation based upon the claim in an appropriate court only if:
(1) The parties were not able to resolve the entire claim through the alternative dispute resolution process and the matter has not been resubmitted to the medical claim conciliation panel pursuant to subsection (b) of this section; or
(2) The claim has not been resolved through the alternative dispute resolution process after twelve months from the date the claim was filed with the approved alternative dispute resolution provider.
(e) No statement made in the course of the approved alternative dispute resolution process shall be admissible in evidence as an admission, to impeach the credibility of a witness, or for any other purpose in any trial of the action. No decision, conclusion, finding, or recommendation of the approved alternative dispute resolution provider on the issue of liability or on the issue of damages shall be admitted into evidence in any subsequent trial, nor shall any party to the approved alternative dispute resolution hearing, their counsel, or other representative of such party, refer or comment thereon in an opening statement, in an argument, or at any time, to the court or jury. [L 2003, c 211, §2]