New York Consolidated Laws, Civil Practice Law and Rules - CVP § 602. Consolidation

(a) Generally.  When actions involving a common question of law or fact are pending before a court, the court, upon motion, may order a joint trial of any or all the matters in issue, may order the actions consolidated, and may make such other orders concerning proceedings therein as may tend to avoid unnecessary costs or delay.

(b) Cases pending in different courts.  Where an action is pending in the supreme court it may, upon motion, remove to itself an action pending in another court and consolidate it or have it tried together with that in the supreme court.  Where an action is pending in the county court, it may, upon motion, remove to itself an action pending in a city, municipal, district or justice court in the county and consolidate it or have it tried together with that in the county court.

(a) Any person applying for medical assistance benefits shall certify to the department that he or she has not transferred title to or ownership interests in any real or personal property to any third person or party within the two years immediately preceding such application;  if such a transfer has occurred, the recipient must disclose the nature of the transfer and must demonstrate that it involves, a bona fide arm's length transaction resulting in compensation paid to the transferor in an amount equal to or greater than the fair market value of the property as determined by the department.

(b) The acceptance of medical assistance benefits shall operate as an assignment to the department, by operation of law, of the assistance recipient's rights to recover support, specified by a court as support for the payment of medical care, and to payment for medical care from any third party.

(c) Any person applying for medical assistance benefits shall authorize the department to inspect, review and copy any and all medical records relating to services received by the applicant or by any person for which the applicant is legally responsible.  The department shall maintain the confidentiality of such records.