California may enact protections against surprise medical bills
By Harris Meyer
August 27, 2016 - Modern Healthcare
California lawmakers are poised to pass a hard-fought
bill this week to shield consumers from surprise out-of-network medical bills,
despite continuing objections from physician groups.
Under the bipartisan
bill, authored by Democratic Assemblyman Rob Bonta, patients who received care
in in-network facilities would have to pay only in-network cost sharing. This
would apply only to non-emergency care, since emergency physicians in California
already are barred from balance-billing patients.
Health plans would pay
non-contracting physicians the plan's average contracted rate or 125% of the
Medicare rate, whichever is greater. Doctors could appeal that through a binding
independent dispute resolution process.
The bill, expected to receive a
final vote in the Senate and the Assembly before the legislative session ends
Aug. 31, also tightens requirements on health plans to offer adequate provider
networks.
Florida enacted a similar law this year, joining New York,
while Georgia and other states are studying the issue or considering
legislation. A recent Consumers Union survey found that one-quarter of
Californians who had hospital visits or surgery in the past two years were
charged an out-of-network rate when they thought their provider was
in-network.
The California Medical Association is still pushing for
tougher network standards, while groups representing plastic surgeons,
cardiologists and anesthesiologists oppose the bill. The California Hospital
Association and the California Association of Health Plans have not declared a
position.
gWe hope both insurers and doctors are reluctantly coming to
neutrality because there's a sense of inevitability and everyone is tired after
two years of intense negotiations,h said Anthony Wright, executive director of
Health Access California.