(A) Any third-party payer that fails to comply with section 3901.381 of the Revised Code, or any contractual payment arrangement entered into under section 3901.383 of the Revised Code, shall pay interest in accordance with this section.

(B) Interest shall be computed based upon the number of days that have elapsed between the date payment is due in accordance with section 3901.381 of the Revised Code or the contractual payment arrangement entered into under section 3901.383 of the Revised Code, and the date payment is made. The interest rate for determining the amount of interest due shall be equal to an annual percentage rate of eighteen per cent.

(C) For purposes of this section, if a dispute exists between a provider and a third-party payer as to the day a payment was made by the third-party payer, both of the following apply:

(1) If the third-party payer or a person acting on behalf of the third-party payer submits a payment directly to a provider by mail and retains a record of the day the payment was mailed, there exists a rebuttable presumption that the payment was made five business days before the day the payment was received by the provider, unless it can be proven otherwise.

(2) If the third-party payer or a person acting on behalf of the third-party payer submits a payment directly to a provider electronically, there exists a rebuttable presumption that the payment was made twenty-four hours before the date the payment was received by the provider, unless it can be proven otherwise.

(D) Interest due in accordance with this section shall be paid directly to the provider at the time payment of the claim is made and shall not be used to reduce benefits or payments otherwise payable under a benefits contract.

Effective Date: 07-24-2002 .