HB 1571

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Provides that the pecuniary liability of an employer for a medical service provided for the treatment of a traumatic injury or serious burn includes liability for any professional service rendered during the dates of service of the admission or transfer to a Level I or Level II trauma center or to a burn center, as applicable. The measure increases the initial charge outlier threshold, which under the stop-loss feature allows hospitals to receive payments or reimbursements that exceed the fee schedule amount for certain claims, from 150 percent of the maximum fee for the service set forth in the applicable fee schedule to 300 percent of such amount. The measure allows the Workers' Compensation Commission to adjust the charge outlier threshold percentage; under existing law, it is allowed only to decrease the percentage. The measure also (i) expands the definition of codes, as used in the provision directing the Commission to establish fee schedules for scheduled medical services, to include revenue codes, which are defined in the bill; (ii) clarifies the definition of "HCPCS codes"; (iii) directs the Commission to use the regulatory advisory panel on all matters involving or related to the fee schedule as deemed necessary by the Commission; (iv) adds a definition of "new type of technology"; and (v) extends the deadline by which the regulatory advisory panel is required to meet, review, and make recommendations to the Commission from July 1, 2017, to July 1, 2018. The bill contains an emergency clause.