By: Leonardo Lampret, Associate Attorney
If you’ve ever dealt with Form C-8.1B — or Notice of Objection to a Payment of a Bill for Treatment Provided — you already know it can feel like one of the most tedious parts of the claims process. Many carriers, employers, and third-party administrators (TPAs) have been frustrated with how quickly a misstep on the form can lead to outright denials and losing thousands of dollars.
Now, the New York Workers’ Compensation Board has rolled out important changes to the form that raise the stakes even higher. While the updates aim to improve clarity and compliance, they also mean more responsibility on your end to get the details right.
Here’s what you need to know.
The heart of the change comes in Section C of Form C-8.1B, where you state your objection reasons.
In other words, a simple “not consistent with MTGs” is most likely not going to cut it anymore. The Board wants a clear, narrative explanation that references specific facts (dates, injury sites, treatment context, etc.) for the Board to even remotely consider it.
If your form doesn’t include a detailed explanation, it may be deemed incomplete and denied.
The certification section has also been revised to bring the form into compliance with 12 NYCRR 325-1.25(c)(1).
Under the new version, you aren’t just certifying that the provider got a copy of the denial. Now, you have to notify all of the following parties that the bill has been denied:
This is a significant change because the prior version of the form only required certification of notice to the provider. Going forward, failing to notify all parties could lead to disputes over proper service and timeliness.
The Board has already posted the updated paper version of the C-8.1B on its website. Use of the new form becomes mandatory starting January 5, 2026.
Older versions of the form will not be accepted after that date. If you continue to use them, your objections might be rejected outright, leaving you on the hook for bills you intended to contest.
On paper, the Board’s updates are meant to improve transparency and reduce unnecessary disputes. In practice, though, it adds extra administrative burdens on payers who already feel like they’re drowning in paperwork.
This means you need to be even more careful and organized than before.
To avoid headaches (and denied C-8.1Bs), here’s what we recommend: