SB743: Bill Text

SB743,,42 1. Related to an emergency medical service.

SB743,,43 2. Anesthesiology.

SB743,,44 3. Pathology.

SB743,,45 4. Radiology.

SB743,,46 5. Neonatology.

SB743,,47 6. An item or service provided by an assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist.

SB743,,48 7. A diagnostic service, including a radiology or laboratory service.

SB743,,49 8. An item or service provided by a specialty practitioner that the commissioner specifies by rule.

SB743,,50 9. An item or service provided by a nonparticipating provider when there is no participating provider that can furnish the item or service at the participating facility.

SB743,,51 (d) Any notice and consent provided under par. (a) may not extend to items or services furnished as a result of unforeseen, urgent medical needs that arise at the time the item or service is provided.

SB743,,52 (e) Any consent provided under par. (a) shall be retained by the provider for no less than 7 years.

SB743,,53 (6) Notice by provider or facility. Beginning no later than January 1, 2024, a health care provider or health care facility shall make available, including posting on a website, to enrollees in defined network plans, preferred provider plans, and self-insured governmental plans notice of the requirements on a provider or facility under subs. (3) and (5), of any other applicable state law requirements on the provider or facility with respect to charging an enrollee for an item or service if the provider or facility does not have a contractual relationship with the plan, and of information on contacting appropriate state or federal agencies in the event the enrollee believes the provider or facility violates any of the requirements under this section or other applicable law.

SB743,,54 (7) Negotiation; dispute resolution. A provider or facility that is entitled to receive an initial payment or notice of denial under sub. (2) (c) 4. a. or (4) (c) may initiate, within 30 days of receiving the initial payment or notice of denial, open negotiations with the defined network plan, preferred provider plan, or self-insured governmental plan to determine a payment amount for an emergency medical service or other item or service for a period that terminates 30 days after initiating open negotiations. If the open negotiation period under this subsection terminates without determination of a payment amount, the provider, facility, defined network plan, preferred provider plan, or self-insured governmental plan may initiate, within the 4 days beginning on the day after the open negotiation period ends, the independent dispute resolution process as specified by the commissioner. If the independent dispute resolution decision maker determines the payment amount, the party to the independent dispute resolution process whose amount was not selected shall pay the fees for the independent dispute resolution. If the parties to the independent dispute resolution reach a settlement on the payment amount, the parties to the independent dispute resolution shall equally divide the payment for the fees for the independent dispute resolution.

SB743,,55 (8) Continuity of care. (a) In this subsection:

SB743,,56 1. “Continuing care patient” means an individual who is any of the following:

SB743,,57 a. Undergoing a course of treatment for a serious and complex condition from a provider or facility.

SB743,,58 b. Undergoing a course of institutional or inpatient care from a provider or facility.

SB743,,59 c. Scheduled to undergo nonelective surgery, including receipt of postoperative care, from a provider or facility.

SB743,,60 d. Pregnant and undergoing a course of treatment for the pregnancy from a provider or facility.

SB743,,61 e. Terminally ill and receiving treatment for the illness from a provider or facility.

SB743,,62 2. “Serious and complex condition” means any of the following:

SB743,,63 a. In the case of an acute illness, a condition that is serious enough to require specialized medical treatment to avoid the reasonable possibility of death or permanent harm.

SB743,,64 b. In the case of a chronic illness or condition, a condition that is life-threatening, degenerative, potentially disabling, or congenital and requires specialized medical care over a prolonged period.

SB743,,65 (b) If an enrollee is a continuing care patient and is obtaining items or services from a participating provider or participating facility and the contract between the defined network plan, preferred provider plan, or self-insured governmental plan and the participating provider or participating facility is terminated or the coverage of benefits that include the items or services provided by the participating provider or participating facility are terminated by the plan, the plan shall do all of the following:

SB743,,66 1. Notify each enrollee of the termination of the contract or benefits and of the right for the enrollee to elect to continue transitional care from the provider or facility under this subsection.

SB743,,67 2. Provide the enrollee an opportunity to notify the plan of the need for transitional care.

SB743,,68 3. Allow the enrollee to elect to continue to have the benefits provided under the plan under the same terms and conditions as would have applied to the item or service if the termination had not occurred for the course of treatment related to the enrollee’s status as a continuing care patient beginning on the date on which the notice under subd. 1. is provided and ending 90 days after the date on which the notice under subd. 1. is provided or the date on which the enrollee is no longer a continuing care patient, whichever is earlier.

SB743,,69 (c) The provisions of s. 609.24 apply to a continuing care patient to the extent that s. 609.24 does not conflict with this subsection so as to limit the enrollee’s rights under this subsection.

SB743,,70 (9) Rule making. The commissioner may promulgate any rules necessary to implement this section, including specifying the independent dispute resolution process under sub. (7). The commissioner may promulgate rules to modify the list of those items and services for which a provider may not balance bill under sub. (5) (c).

SB743,,71 (end)