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February 4, 2008 issue
Insurance
BILL: HB 1055 - Assignment of Benefits
AUTHOR: Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary
SPONSOR: Sen. Beverly Gard, R-Greenfield
ISMA POSITION: Support
THIS WEEK: The full House voted 60-38 in favor of HB 1055, and it has been assigned to the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee.
The bill would require insurers to honor a patient’s request for assignment of benefits to an out-of-network provider. The bill was amended in committee to require a non-network physician to notify the patient that he/she may receive a bill for the balance of charges for health care services. The opposition fought fiercely against this bill in the House and will do so again in the Senate with even greater force.
Your help is urgently needed! PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SENATOR AND URGE SUPPORT OF HB 1055! The Senate switchboard number is (800) 383-9467.
BILL: SB 159 – Silent PPOs
AUTHOR: Sen. Beverly Gard, R-Greenfield
SPONSOR: Rep. Phil Hoy D-Evansville
ISMA POSITION: Support
THIS WEEK: The Senate approved SB 159 with a 47-1 vote and it has been assigned to the House Public Health Committee.
The bill would require conspicuous language in a physician contract if a network chooses to sell a physician’s discounted reimbursement rate to third parties. The network also would be required to maintain a Web site or toll-free phone number listing all parties to whom the network has sold the discount.
In addition, SB 159 would require the third party to include contact information on explanation of benefits for the network who sold the discount. Finally, the bill would prohibit aggregators from selling or leasing physician reimbursement rates.
Bill: SB 249 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Commission
AUTHOR: Sen. Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne
SPONSOR: Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary
ISMA POSITION: Support
THIS WEEK: The full Senate voted 48-0 to approve the bill.
SB 249 would require the EMS Commission to adopt rules concerning triage and transportation protocols for the transportation of trauma patients consistent with the field triage decision scheme of the American College of Surgeons.
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