Assembly Bill No. 70–Assemblywoman Giunchigliani

 

February 10, 2003

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Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

 

SUMMARY—Limits certain fees which providers of health services that accept insurance payments may collect from patients. (BDR 40‑33)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.

                           Effect on the State: No.

 

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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 certain fees which providers of health services 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

1-2  thereto 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

1-5  payment or reimbursement from an insurer of a patient for the

1-6  provision of any health services to the patient, the practitioner or

1-7  health facility shall not, except as otherwise provided in this

1-8  paragraph or another specific statute, collect or seek to collect

1-9  from the patient any fees or costs relating to the particular health

1-10  services for which the practitioner or health facility agreed to

1-11  accept payment or reimbursement from the insurer. This

1-12  paragraph does not prohibit a practitioner or health facility from

1-13  collecting or seeking to collect from a patient:

1-14          (1) Any copayment, deductible or coinsurance required by

1-15  the insurer of the patient; or

1-16          (2) Any amount of the payment or reimbursement the

1-17  practitioner or health facility agreed to accept from the insurer of

2-1  the patient which, as the result of the failure of the patient to

2-2  obtain any preauthorization or to take any other action required

2-3  by the insurer, the insurer is not obligated to provide.

2-4  (b) Has not entered into a written agreement to accept any

2-5  payment or reimbursement from an insurer of a patient for the

2-6  provision of a particular health service to the patient, the

2-7  practitioner or health facility shall, whenever practicable, except

2-8  in an emergency, inform the patient of that fact before providing

2-9  that service.

2-10      2.  For the purposes of this section:

2-11      (a) “Health services” has the meaning ascribed to it in

2-12  NRS 439A.017.

2-13      (b) “Insurer” means any person or state or local governmental

2-14  entity that, pursuant to any written agreement, pays or reimburses

2-15  any fees or costs for the provision of any health services to an

2-16  insured.

 

2-17  H