Bailey v. Capital Blue Cross & Pennsylvania Blue Shield

29 Pa. D. & C.3d 350, 1984 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 448
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Cumberland County
DecidedMarch 16, 1984
Docketno. 1320 Civil 1983
StatusPublished

This text of 29 Pa. D. & C.3d 350 (Bailey v. Capital Blue Cross & Pennsylvania Blue Shield) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Cumberland County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bailey v. Capital Blue Cross & Pennsylvania Blue Shield, 29 Pa. D. & C.3d 350, 1984 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 448 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1984).

Opinion

SHEELY, P.J.,

This case is before us on cross-motions for summary judgment. Initially, we must address the propriety of entering judgment given the procedural posture of the case. On October 4, 1983, the State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company filed a petition to intervene in this case. Subsequently, the parties filed an answer to the petition and a reply to the answer, but no hearing has ever been held to consider the merits of the petition as the Rules would seem to require. [351]*351See Pa.R.C.P. 2328. However, on February 27, 1984, this court received correspondence from counsel for State Farm indicating that any right to a hearing on the petition was being waived.

We choose to resolve the matter by simply accepting the allegations of the petition as true and deciding the intervention issue on that basis. We deny the petition to intervene, even accepting the truth of the facts as alleged. There are two reasons for our decision. First, State Farm has no right to intervene under any of the provisions of Rule 2327. State Farm argues that it comes within part (3) of the Rule allowing intervention by one who could have been a party to the action when it was commenced. The instant action arises out of an insurance contract between plaintiff and the defendants with which State Farm has nothing to do. State Farm could not be a party to this suit; therefore, Rule 2327(3) does not apply. Second, even if State Farm qualified under Rule 2327, we would deny intervention under Rule 2329 because the “interest of [State Farm] is already adequately represented” by plaintiff, Marian A. Bailey. Pa.R.C.P. 2329(2). Our disposition of the petition to intervene closes the pleadings in this case as is required before we may consider a motion for summary judgment under Rule 1035.

Counsel have submitted a stipulation of facts to be considered along with the remainder of the record in the decision of the motions. Briefly, the facts developed in the stipulation are as follows: Marian Bailey, plaintiff in this action, purchased a health insurance policy from defendants, Capital Blue Cross and Pennsylvania Blue Shield. During the period in which she was covered under this health insurance policy, Bailey also had a No-fault Automobile Insurance Policy with State Farm.

[352]*352Bailey suffered injuries when she was struck by an automobile on December 8, 1978. Her injuries have required expensive medical treatment ever since the accident. Prior to September 22, 1981, all of Bailey’s medical expenses were reimbursed twice, once by the defendants, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and once by State Farm.

On January 27, 1982, the Social Security Administration informed Bailey of her eligibility for Medicare benefits. This eligibility had a twofold effect on Bailey’s insurance coverage. First, it rendered her ineligible to receive further payments from State Farm for any medical expenses resulting from the accident that were paid by Medicare.

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Related

Hionis v. Northern Mutual Insurance
327 A.2d 363 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1974)
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232 A.2d 60 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1967)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
29 Pa. D. & C.3d 350, 1984 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 448, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bailey-v-capital-blue-cross-pennsylvania-blue-shield-pactcomplcumber-1984.