EXEMPT

                            (REPRINTED WITH ADOPTED AMENDMENTS)

 

Assembly Bill No. 52–Assemblymen Bache, Parks, McClain, Koivisto and Giunchigliani

 

Prefiled January 29, 2001

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Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services

 

SUMMARY—Limits fees which providers of health services that accept insurance payments may collect from patients. (BDR 40‑655)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.

                             Effect on the State: Contains Appropriation not included in Executive Budget.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to providers of health services; limiting the fees which providers that accept insurance payments may collect from patients; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. Chapter 439B of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto

1-2  a new section to read as follows:

1-3    1.  If a practitioner or health facility:

1-4    (a) Has entered into a written agreement to accept any payment or

1-5  reimbursement from an insurer of a patient for the provision of any

1-6  health services to the patient, the practitioner or health facility shall not,

1-7  except as otherwise provided in this paragraph or another specific

1-8  statute, collect or seek to collect from the patient any fees or costs

1-9  relating to the particular health services for which the practitioner or

1-10  health facility agreed to accept payment or reimbursement from the

1-11  insurer. This paragraph does not prohibit a practitioner or health facility

1-12  from collecting or seeking to collect from a patient:

1-13      (1) Any copayment, deductible or coinsurance required by the

1-14  insurer of the patient; or

1-15      (2) Any amount of the payment or reimbursement the practitioner

1-16  or health facility agreed to accept from the insurer of the patient which,

1-17  as the result of the failure of the patient to obtain any preauthorization or

1-18  to take any other action required by the insurer, the insurer is not

1-19  obligated to provide.

1-20  (b) Has not entered into a written agreement to accept any payment or

1-21  reimbursement from an insurer of a patient for the provision of a

1-22  particular health service to the patient, the practitioner or health facility

2-1  shall, except in an emergency, inform the patient of that fact before

2-2  providing that service.

2-3    2.  For the purposes of this section:

2-4    (a) “Health services” has the meaning ascribed to it in

2-5  NRS 439A.017.

2-6    (b) “Insurer” means any person or state or local governmental entity

2-7  that, pursuant to any written agreement, pays or reimburses any fees or

2-8  costs for the provision of any health services to an insured.

 

2-9  H