Massachusetts § 98 - Unfair and deceptive acts or practices relating to plaintiff personal injury listings

§ 98. Unfair and deceptive acts or practices relating to plaintiff personal injury listings

Section 98. It is hereby declared to be an unfair and deceptive act or practice in violation of chapter ninety-three A for a subscriber, listing service, or nonsubscriber provider of health care services, or any of their agents, employees or other representatives to:—

(a) Retaliate against a person whose name is contained in a plaintiff personal injury listing by refusing to provide, or refusing to continue to provide, or otherwise interfering with the provision of health care services to the named person or to any member of the named person's family, or by any other manner of discrimination against such person in the provision of health services.

(b) Conspire with any subscriber or provider of health care services to retaliate against a person whose name is contained in a plaintiff personal injury listing by refusing to provide, or refusing to continue to provide, or otherwise interfering with the provision of health care services to the named person or to any member of the named person's family or by any other manner of discrimination against such person in the provision of health services.

(c) Retaliate against a person whose name is contained in a plaintiff personal injury listing by refusing to enroll, insure, or allow to participate in any plan for the provision of health care services the named person or any member of the named person's family or by any other manner of discrimination against such person in the provision of health services.

(d) Violate or fail to comply with any other provision of section ninety-six or ninety seven.

This section shall not be construed to prevent other acts or practices of a listing service or subscriber from being declared to be in violation of said chapter ninety-three A or of any other law.

In any action brought there shall be a presumption of retaliation upon a showing by the plaintiff that (a) his name was contained in a plaintiff personal injury listing, (b) said plaintiff sought services from a subscriber, and (c) said plaintiff was refused such services. This presumption may be rebutted by a showing by the defendant by a preponderance of the evidence that the plaintiff was refused such services for a valid business reason and not in whole or in part due to the appearance of the plaintiff's name in a plaintiff personal injury listing.