LEG REG REVIEW
2017, 38th Issue *** December 11, 2017
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SESSION DAYS ANNOUNCED FOR 2018
House Senate
January 2,22,23,24 2,22,23,24,29,30,31
February 5,6,7 5,6,7
March 12,13,14 19,20,21,26,27,28
April 9,10,11,16,17,18,30 16,17,18,23,24,25,30
May 1,2,22,23 1,2,21,22,23
June: Both in session 4,5,6,11,12,13,18,19,20,21,25,26,27,28,29 The House is in session June 30.
CHIP RENEWAL RETURNS TO NON-TRANSGENDER LANGUAGE
House Bill 1388 (Irvin-R-Huntington/Centre/Mifflin) started out as a simple reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through 2019. In the Senate, the bill became ensnarled in a feisty controversy on reversing Governor Wolf’s decision allowing CHIP monies to be spent for transgender transition. This was rebuffed by the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee but was partially restored when the Senate changed language to only cover transgender counseling services. The House has now reverted to a prior Printer’s Number. This means that all the Senate language was stripped so that it is now again a simple bill. There was a House amendment which gives the bill some flexibility. Original language said that CHIP was re-authorized through December 31, 2019 or 90 days after Federal funding for CHIP ceases. The amendment allows for an extension if the Federal Government authorizes funding beyond December 31, 2019.
HB 1388 needs prompt Senate concurrence since current CHIP authorization expires December 31, 2017.
HOUSE HEALTH TAKES UP BALANCE BILLING
The House Health Committee is considering House Bill 1553 (Baker-R-Tioga/Potter). It prevents “surprise billing” also known as “balance billing”, a situation that occurs when a patient goes to an in-network provider such as a hospital and the provider subcontracts services such as anesthesiology to a non-network provider. The patient is hit with sometimes huge non-network bills. HB 1553 requires in-network billing given the patient’s reasonable assumption that the range of services was in-network. The bill is bipartisan with 20 Republican sponsors and 11 Democrats on the bill. Noteworthy is the sponsorship by both majority and minority chairs of both the House Health and House Insurance Committees. Its’ Senate counterpart is Senate Bill 678 (Schwank-D-Berks), now in the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee.
BUDGET REFORM BILLS CROWD HOUSE VOTING CALENDAR
On the active House calendar this week are six bills designed to improve the State Budget process. One, House Bill 1940 (Reed-R-Indiana), says that a State Budget bill taking effect without the Governor’s signature (as happened in 2017) must not have spending levels exceeding revenue estimates. The other bills are House Bill 1941, House Bill 1942, House Bill 1943, House Bill 944, and House Bill 1945. Text and explanation memos may be found at www.legis.state.pa.us.
DENTAL DIRECT PAYMENT BILL ON SENATE CALENDAR
Legislation allowing for direct reimbursement from insurer to dental service providers is on the Senate calendar. Sponsored by Senator John Eichelberger (R-Blair), SB 373 also directs the Legislative Budget & Finance Committee to conduct a study of costs and benefits associated with direct reimbursement of nonparticipating providers by health insurance carriers, impact on consumers of prohibiting carriers from refusing a valid assignment of benefits, and the impact of requiring direct reimbursement of nonparticipating providers by health insurance carriers on a carrier’s ability to maintain an adequate number of in-network providers. The legislation also says that the dental claim form must clearly state whether the provider seeking authorization for direct payment will bill the patient for whatever the carrier does not pay.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT SETS PATIENT RECORDS FEES
The Department of Health published its annual schedule of what medical providers may charge patients for copies of their medical records. For example, a provider may charge up to $1.51 per page for pages 1-20, $1.12 for pages 21-60, and 38 cents for pages 61-plus. Microfilm copies can go as high as $2.23 per page. There is a flat fee of $28.48 for records supporting any Social Security claim or any needs-based Federal or state program. Records requested by a district attorney will cost a flat fee of $22.48. This was published in the December 3, 2017, PA Bulletin, www.pabulletin.com.
POLITICS
