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| Thursday, July 16, 2009 |
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New Assignment of Benefits Law in Florida
By admin @ 8:46 AM :: 652 Views ::
0 Comments
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| Florida has become the latest of only a handful of states that require
health insurers to pay out-of-network physicians directly rather than send
reimbursements to patients.
The state's new assignment-of-benefits law took effect July 1.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was lobbied hard by health insurers who wanted
him to veto the bill, but in the end he followed the will of the
Legislature, said Florida Medical Assn. spokeswoman Lynne Takacs.
"We're pretty proud of it," she said. "It was a David-versus-Goliath-type
effort." Physicians who supported the legislation sent more than 1,000
letters to Crist, she said.
Health insurers, including BlueCross BlueShield of Florida, lobbied against
the bill at the capital and with TV ads, warning it would cost the company
and prompt increased balance billing.
"Our concern on the part of some of our members still is that direct payment
to providers is an important benefit from a provider contracting with a
health plan," said Jim Bracher, executive vice president of the Florida
Assn. of Health Plans, which opposed the bill.
"That benefit will be lost, and you're faced with the possibility you have
providers leaving your network and more persons will be getting balance
billed."
In the letter accompanying his June 10 signature, the governor said he hoped
the new law would ensure that patients could access care in or out of a
health plan's network.
"I am pleased that this legislation removes a health care access barrier
that hindered a provider's right to receive payment for rendering services,"
the letter said.
Florida passed reforms last year that included a requirement to pay network
physicians directly. But a section of that bill that would have required
paying out-of-network doctors directly was removed during the legislative
session, because it "threatened to torpedo the whole bill," Takacs said.
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