Deadline for applying for heating assistance
Under current law, a household may apply for heating assistance under DOA's
low-income energy assistance program after September 30 and before May 16 of any
year. Under this bill, applications may be submitted at any time in calendar year
2020.
11.
INSURANCE
Payments for services by out-of-network providers
During the public health emergency declared by the governor or by the
secretary of the federal Department of Health and Human Services in response to
the COVID-19 pandemic, the bill prohibits a defined network plan, including a
health maintenance organization, or preferred provider plan from requiring an
enrollee of the plan to pay more for a service, treatment, or supply provided by an
out-of-network provider than if the service, treatment, or supply is provided by a
provider that is participating in the plan's network. This prohibition applies to any
service, treatment, or supply that is related to diagnosis or treatment for COVID-19
and any service, treatment, or supply that is provided by a provider that is not a
participating provider because a participating provider is unavailable due to the
public health emergency. For a service, treatment, or supply provided under those
circumstances, the bill requires the plan to reimburse the out-of-network provider
at 225 percent of the federal Medicare program rate. Also under those
circumstances, any health care provider or facility that provides a service,
treatment, or supply to an enrollee of a plan but is not a participating provider of that
plan shall accept as payment in full any payment by a plan that is at least 225 percent
of the federal Medicare program rate and may not charge the enrollee an amount
that exceeds the amount the provider or facility is reimbursed by the plan.
Prohibiting coverage discrimination based on COVID-19 diagnosis
This bill prohibits insurers that offer an individual or group health benefit plan,
pharmacy benefit managers, or self-insured governmental health plans from doing
any of the following based on a current or past diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of
COVID-19: establishing rules for the eligibility of any individual, employer, or group
to enroll or remain enrolled in a plan or for the renewal of coverage under the plan;
cancelling coverage during a contract term; setting rates for coverage; or refusing to
grant a grace period for payment of a premium that would generally be granted.
Prohibiting certain prescription drugs coverage limits
The bill prohibits insurers that offer health insurance, self-insured
governmental health plans, and pharmacy benefit managers from requiring prior
authorization for early refills of a prescription drug or otherwise restricting the
period of time in which a prescription drug may be refilled and from imposing a limit
on the quantity of prescription drugs that may be obtained if the quantity is no more
than a 90-day supply. These prohibitions do not apply if the prescription drug is a
controlled substance.

Liability insurance for physicians and nurse anesthetists
This bill specifies that, during the public health emergency declared on March
12, 2020, by executive order 72, a physician or nurse anesthetist for whom Wisconsin
is not a principal place of practice but who is temporarily authorized to practice in
Wisconsin may fulfill financial responsibility requirements by filing with the
commissioner of insurance a certificate of insurance for a policy of health care
liability insurance issued by an insurer authorized in a certain jurisdiction specified
in the bill and may elect to be covered by Wisconsin's health care liability laws.
Coverage of COVID-19 testing without cost sharing
The bill requires every health insurance policy and every self-insured
governmental health plan that generally covers testing for infectious disease to
provide coverage of testing for COVID-19 without imposing any copayment or
coinsurance before March 13, 2021. A health insurance policy is referred to in the
bill as a disability insurance policy.
12.
legislature
Transfer of moneys from sum sufficient appropriations
The Joint Committee on Finance may currently transfer moneys between sum
certain and continuing appropriations if JCF finds that unnecessary duplication of
functions can be eliminated, more efficient and effective methods for performing
programs will result, or legislative intent will be more effectively carried out because
of the transfer.
This bill authorizes JCF to transfer moneys from sum sufficient appropriations
during the public health emergency declared on March 12, 2020, by executive order
72 and for 90 days after the end of the emergency. The total amount that may be
transferred from all sum sufficient appropriations during the emergency may not
exceed $75,000,000.
Audit of programs and expenditures under this act
Under this bill, beginning on July 1, 2020, and ending on June 30, 2021, the
Legislative Audit Bureau must review programs affected by this act and
expenditures authorized under this act and must report the results of its reviews at
least quarterly to the legislature and to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.
13.
local government
Board of review meeting
Under current law, a town, city, or village annually convenes a meeting of the
board of review to hear objections to local assessments. The board must meet during
the 45-day period beginning on the fourth Monday in April, but no sooner than seven
days after the last day on which the property tax assessment roll is open for public
examination. If the assessment roll is not complete in time for the board's first
meeting, the board meets, but adjourns until the roll is complete. Under the bill,
regardless of whether the 2020 assessment roll is complete at the time of the 45-day

period beginning on the 4th Monday of April, the board may publish a notice that the
board has adjourned and will proceed as provided under current law.
Annual town meeting
Under current law, a town is required to hold an annual town meeting. The
town meeting must be held on the third Tuesday of April, except that the town may
set another date within ten days after the third Tuesday of April. This bill allows a
town board or, if the town board is unable to promptly meet, the town chair to
postpone the town meeting so that it does not occur during the period beginning on
the first day of the public health emergency declared by the governor by executive
order 72 and ending 60 days after the termination of that order.
14.
OCCUPATIONAL REGULATION