Chapter 146

146.89(5)(a) (a) A volunteer health care provider who meets all of the following criteria is not a state agent under sub. (4):

146.89(5)(a)1. 1. The volunteer health care provider is described in sub. (1) (r) 5.

146.89(5)(a)2. 2. The volunteer health care provider has sufficient liability insurance coverage, as determined by the department of health services.

146.89(5)(a)3. 3. The volunteer health care provider submits a joint application with a nonprofit agency that has sufficient liability coverage, as determined by the department of health services.

146.89(5)(b) (b) A volunteer health care provider described in par. (a) is not liable for any civil damages for any act or omission resulting from providing services under this section, unless any of the following are true:

146.89(5)(b)1. 1. The act or omission is the result of the volunteer health care provider’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.

146.89(5)(b)2. 2. The act or omission violates a state statute or rule.

146.89(6) (6) 

146.89(6)(a) (a) While serving as a volunteer health care provider under this section, an advanced practice nurse who has a certificate to issue prescription orders under s. 441.16 (2) is considered to meet the requirements of s. 655.23, if required to comply with s. 655.23.

146.89(6)(b) (b) While serving as a volunteer health care provider under this section, an advanced practice nurse who has a certificate to issue prescription orders under s. 441.16 (2) is not required to maintain in effect malpractice insurance.

146.89 History History: 1989 a. 206; 1991 a. 269; 1993 a. 28, 490; 1995 a. 27 ss. 4378 to 4380, 9126 (19); 1997 a. 27, 57, 67; 1999 a. 23; 2003 a. 92; 2005 a. 188; 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a); 2007 a. 201; 2009 a. 93, 134; 2011 a. 32, 216; 2013 a. 241, 344; 2015 a. 55, 188; 2015 a. 195 ss. 25, 26, 82; 2019 a. 57; 2021 a. 23, 100, 130; 2023 a. 55, 87; s. 13.92 (1) (bm) 2.

146.903 146.903 Disclosures required of health care providers and hospitals.

146.903(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

146.903(1)(a) (a) “Ambulatory surgical center” has the meaning given in 42 CFR 416.2.

146.903(1)(b) (b) “Clinic” means a place, other than a residence or a hospital, that is used primarily for the provision of nursing, medical, podiatric, dental, chiropractic, or optometric care and treatment.

146.903(1)(br) (br) “Health care information organization” means an organization that gathers data from health care providers or hospitals regarding utilization and quality of health care services and that produces reports on the comparative quality of health care services provided by health care providers or hospitals.

146.903(1)(c) (c) “Health care provider” has the meaning given in s. 146.81 (1) (a) to (L) and includes a clinic and an ambulatory surgical center but does not include a nursing home, as defined in s. 50.01 (3).

146.903(1)(d) (d) “Hospital” has the meaning given in s. 50.33 (2).

146.903(1)(e) (e) “Median billed charge” means one of the following:

146.903(1)(e)1. 1. For a health care provider, the amount the health care provider charged, before any discount or contractual rate applicable to certain patients or payers was applied, during the first 2 calendar quarters of the most recently completed calendar year, as calculated by arranging the charges in that reporting period from highest to lowest and selecting the middle charge in the sequence or, for an even number of charges, selecting the 2 middle charges in the sequence and calculating the average of the 2.

146.903(1)(e)2. 2. For a hospital, the amount the hospital charged, before any discount or contractual rate applicable to certain patients or payers was applied, during the 4 calendar quarters for which the hospital most recently reported data under ch. 153, as calculated by arranging the charges in the reporting period from highest to lowest and selecting the middle charge in the sequence or, for an even number of charges, selecting the 2 middle charges in the sequence and calculating the average of the 2.

146.903(1)(f) (f) “Medicare” means coverage under part A or part B of Title XVIII of the federal Social Security Act, 42 USC 1395 to 1395dd.

146.903(1)(g) (g) “Public information” means information that any person may access from a health care information organization, regardless of whether the organization charges a fee for the information.

146.903(2) (2) Department duties.

146.903(2)(a) (a) The department shall do all of the following:

146.903(2)(a)1. 1. Categorize health care providers by type.

146.903(2)(a)2. 2. For each type of health care provider, annually identify the 25 presenting conditions for which that type of health care provider most frequently provides health care services.

146.903(2)(a)3. 3. Prescribe the methods by which health care providers shall calculate and present median billed charges and Medicare and private 3rd-party payer payments under sub. (3) (b).

146.903(2)(b) (b) In performing the duties under par. (a), the department shall consult with organizations in this state that do all of the following:

146.903(2)(b)1. 1. Develop performance measures for assessing the quality of health care services.

146.903(2)(b)2. 2. Guide the collection, validation, and analysis of data related to measures described under subd. 1.

146.903(2)(b)3. 3. Report results of assessments of the quality of health care services.

146.903(2)(b)4. 4. Share best practices of organizations that provide health care services.

146.903(3) (3) Health care provider disclosure of charges.

146.903(3)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (g), a health care provider or the health care provider’s designee shall, upon request by and at no cost to a health care consumer, disclose to the consumer within a reasonable period of time after the request, the median billed charge, assuming no medical complications, for a health care service, diagnostic test, or procedure that is specified by the consumer and that is provided by the health care provider.

146.903(3)(am) (am) A health care provider that submits data to a health care information organization shall, when it makes a disclosure to a consumer under par. (a), make available to the consumer any public information reported by the health care information organization regarding the quality of health care services provided by the health care provider compared to the quality of health care services provided by other health care providers that is relevant to the health care service, diagnostic test, or procedure specified by the consumer under par. (a). A health care provider may make the information available to the consumer by providing the consumer a paper copy of the information or by providing the consumer the address of an Internet site where the information is posted. If the health care provider submits data to more than one health care information organization and more than one of the health care information organizations reports to the health care provider public information on comparative quality that is relevant to the health care service, diagnostic test, or procedure, the health care provider is required under this paragraph to make available to the consumer public information reported by only one of the health care information organizations.

146.903(3)(b) (b) Except as provided in par. (g), a health care provider shall prepare a single document that lists the following charge information, assuming no medical complications, for diagnosing and treating each of the 25 presenting conditions identified for the health care provider’s provider type under sub. (2):

146.903(3)(b)1. 1. The median billed charge.

146.903(3)(b)2. 2. If the health care provider is certified as a provider of Medicare, the Medicare payment to the provider.

146.903(3)(b)3. 3. The average allowable payment from private, 3rd-party payers.

146.903(3)(bm) (bm) A health care provider that submits data to a health care information organization shall make available with the document required under par. (b) any public information reported by the health care information organization regarding the quality of health care services provided by the health care provider compared to the quality of health care services provided by other health care providers that is relevant to a presenting condition for which the provider is required to list charge information under par. (b). A health care provider may make the information available by attaching it to the document or by including the address of an Internet site where the information is posted with the document. If the health care provider submits data to more than one health care information organization and more than one of the health care information organizations reports to the health care provider public information on comparative quality that is relevant to a presenting condition, the health care provider is required under this paragraph to make available public information reported by only one of the health care information organizations for the presenting condition.

146.903(3)(c) (c) Except as provided in par. (g), a health care provider or the health care provider’s designee shall, upon request by and at no cost to a health care consumer, provide the consumer a copy of the document prepared under par. (b) and the information described under par. (bm).

146.903(3)(d) (d) Except as provided in par. (g), a health care provider shall annually update the document under par. (b).

146.903(3)(e) (e) Information provided upon request under par. (a) or included on the document under par. (b) does not constitute a legally binding estimate of the charge for a specific patient or the amount that a 3rd-party payer will pay on behalf of the patient.

146.903(3)(f) (f) Except as provided in par. (g), a health care provider shall prominently display, in the area of the health care provider’s practice or facility that is most commonly frequented by health care consumers, a statement informing the consumers that they have the right to receive charge information as provided in pars. (a) and (b) and, if applicable, the information described under par. (bm), from the health care provider and, if the requirements, if any, under s. 632.798 (2) (d) are met, a good faith estimate, from their insurers or self-insured health plans, of the insured’s total out-of-pocket cost according to the insured’s benefit terms for the specified health care service in the geographic region in which the health care service will be provided.

146.903(3)(g) (g) The requirements under pars. (a) to (f) do not apply to any of the following:

146.903(3)(g)1. 1. A health care provider that practices individually or in association with not more than 2 other individual health care providers.

146.903(3)(g)2. 2. A health care provider that is an association of 3 or fewer individual health care providers.

146.903(4) (4) Hospital disclosure of charges.

146.903(4)(a) (a) Each hospital shall prepare a single document that lists the following charge information, assuming no medical complications, for inpatient care for each of the 75 diagnosis related groups identified under s. 153.21 (3) and the following charge information for each of the 75 outpatient surgical procedures identified under s. 153.21 (3):

146.903(4)(a)1. 1. The median billed charge.

146.903(4)(a)2. 2. The average allowable payment under Medicare.

146.903(4)(a)3. 3. The average allowable payment from private, 3rd-party payers.

146.903(4)(am) (am) A hospital that submits data to a health care information organization shall make available with the document required under par. (a) any public information reported by the health care information organization regarding the quality of health care services provided by the hospital compared to the quality of health care services provided by other hospitals that is relevant to a diagnosis related group or outpatient surgical procedure for which the hospital is required to list charge information under par. (a). A hospital may make the information available by attaching it to the document or by including the address of an Internet site where the information is posted with the document. If a hospital submits data to more than one health care information organization and more than one of the health care information organizations reports to the hospital public information on comparative quality that is relevant to a diagnosis related group or outpatient surgical procedure, the hospital is required under this paragraph to make available public information reported by only one of the health care information organizations for the diagnosis related group or outpatient surgical procedure.

146.903(4)(b) (b) A hospital shall, upon request by and at no cost to a health care consumer, provide the consumer a copy of the document prepared under par. (a) and the information described under par. (am).

146.903(4)(c) (c) A hospital shall update the document under par. (a) every calendar quarter.

146.903(4)(d) (d) Information included on the document under par. (a) does not constitute a legally binding estimate of the charge for a specific patient or the amount that a 3rd-party payer will pay on behalf of the patient.

146.903(4)(e) (e) Each hospital shall prominently display, in the area of the hospital that is most commonly frequented by health care consumers, a statement informing the consumers that they have the right to receive a copy of the document under par. (a) and, if applicable, the information described under par. (am), from the hospital and, if the requirements, if any, under s. 632.798 (2) (d) are met, a good faith estimate, from their insurers or self-insured health plans, of the insured’s total out-of-pocket cost according to the insured’s benefit terms for the specified health care service in the geographic region in which the health care service will be provided.

146.903(5) (5) Penalty.

146.903(5)(a) (a) Whoever violates sub. (3) or (4) may be required to forfeit not more than $250 for each violation.

146.903(5)(b) (b) The department may directly assess forfeitures provided for under par. (a). If the department determines that a forfeiture should be assessed for a particular violation, the department shall send a notice of assessment to the alleged violator. The notice shall specify the amount of the forfeiture assessed, the violation, and the statute or rule alleged to have been violated, and shall inform the alleged violator of the right to a hearing under par. (c).

146.903(5)(c) (c) An alleged violator may contest an assessment of a forfeiture by sending, within 10 days after receipt of notice under par. (b), a written request for a hearing under s. 227.44 to the division of hearings and appeals created under s. 15.103 (1). The administrator of the division may designate a hearing examiner to preside over the case and recommend a decision to the administrator under s. 227.46. The decision of the administrator of the division shall be the final administrative decision. The division shall commence the hearing within 30 days after receipt of the request for a hearing and shall issue a final decision within 15 days after the close of the hearing. Proceedings before the division are governed by ch. 227. In any petition for judicial review of a decision by the division, the party, other than the petitioner, who was in the proceeding before the division shall be the named respondent.

146.903(5)(d) (d) All forfeitures shall be paid to the department within 10 days after receipt of notice of assessment or, if the forfeiture is contested under par. (c), within 10 days after receipt of the final decision after exhaustion of administrative review, unless the final decision is appealed and the order is stayed by court order. The department shall remit all forfeitures paid to the secretary of administration for deposit in the school fund.

146.903(5)(e) (e) The attorney general may bring an action in the name of the state to collect any forfeiture imposed under this subsection if the forfeiture has not been paid following the exhaustion of all administrative and judicial reviews. The only issue to be contested in any such action is whether the forfeiture has been paid.

146.903 History History: 2009 a. 146.

146.905 146.905 Reduction in fees prohibited.

146.905(1) (1) Except as provided in sub. (2), a health care provider, as defined in s. 146.81 (1) (a) to (p), that provides a service or a product to an individual with coverage under a disability insurance policy, as defined in s. 632.895 (1) (a), may not reduce or eliminate or offer to reduce or eliminate coinsurance or a deductible required under the terms of the disability insurance policy.

146.905(2) (2) Subsection (1) does not apply if payment of the total fee would impose an undue financial hardship on the individual receiving the service or product.

146.905 History History: 1991 a. 250; 1995 a. 225; 2009 a. 28.

146.91 146.91 Long-term care insurance.

146.91(1) (1) In this section, “long-term care insurance” means insurance that provides coverage both for an extended stay in a nursing home and home health services for a person with a chronic condition. The insurance may also provide coverage for other services that assist the insured person in living outside a nursing home including but not limited to adult day care and continuing care retirement communities.

146.91(2) (2) The department, with the advice of the council on long-term care insurance, the office of the commissioner of insurance, the board on aging and long-term care and the department of employee trust funds, shall design a program that includes the following:

146.91(2)(a) (a) Subsidizing premiums for persons purchasing long-term care insurance, based on the purchasers’ ability to pay.

146.91(2)(b) (b) Reinsuring by the state of policies issued in this state by long-term care insurers.

146.91(3) (3) The department shall collect any data on health care costs and utilization that the department determines to be necessary to design the program under sub. (2).

146.91(6) (6) The department, with the advice of the council on long-term care insurance, may examine use of tax incentives for the sale and purchase of long-term care insurance.

146.91 History History: 1987 a. 27; 1989 a. 56; 2007 a. 20.

146.95 146.95 Patient visitation.

146.95(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

146.95(1)(a) (a) “Health care provider” has the meaning given in s. 155.01 (7).

146.95(1)(b) (b) “Inpatient health care facility” has the meaning given in s. 252.14 (1) (d).

146.95(1)(c) (c) “Treatment facility” has the meaning given in s. 51.01 (19).

146.95(2) (2) Patient-designated visitors.

146.95(2)(a) (a) Any individual who is 18 years of age or older may identify to a health care provider at an inpatient health care facility at any time, either orally or in writing, those persons with whom the individual wishes to visit while the individual is a patient at the inpatient health care facility. Except as provided in par. (b), no inpatient health care facility may deny visitation during the inpatient health care facility’s regular visiting hours to any person identified by the individual.

146.95(2)(b) (b) Subject to s. 51.61 for a treatment facility, an inpatient health care facility may deny visitation with a patient to any person if any of the following applies:

146.95(2)(b)1. 1. The inpatient health care facility or a health care provider determines that the patient may not receive any visitors.

146.95(2)(b)2. 2. The inpatient health care facility or a health care provider determines that the presence of the person would endanger the health or safety of the patient.

146.95(2)(b)3. 3. The inpatient health care facility determines that the presence of the person would interfere with the primary operations of the inpatient health care facility.

146.95(2)(b)4. 4. The patient has subsequently expressed in writing to a health care provider at the inpatient health care facility that the patient no longer wishes to visit with the person. Unless subd. 2. applies, an inpatient health care facility may not under this subdivision deny visitation to the person based on a claim by someone other than a health care provider that the patient has orally expressed that the patient no longer wishes to visit with that person.