APAIC SPONSORED BILLS & BILLS OF INTEREST

Equal Recoupment Time Bill

  • Currently commercial health insurance carriers may have longer time periods to come back and recoup funds from a provider than the provider has to file a claim with the insurance carrier, often leaving the provider without the ability to re-file or re-bill if there is a discrepancy that could otherwise be corrected.

  • This bill gives providers up to six (6) months to submit a corrected claim after recoupment for services that were actually provided but billed in error without intent to defraud.  
Senate Insurance & Commerce Contact List
File Size: 91 kb
File Type: docx
Download File
SB642.pdf
File Size: 227 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

To require reporting of certain event related to office-based surgery

  • Would have required ASCs and office-based surgery centers to report complications to the Health Department and the Arkansas Medical Board but exempted the reporting of the same complications experienced at a hospital or hospital outpatient center.

  • APAIC expressed deep industry concerns to the bill's sponsor, which in turn led to her not advancing the bill. 

  • This was a major victory for ASCs as this legislation would have tremendous negative impact for our industry.
hb1946.pdf
File Size: 245 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

ACT 902 Clarification Bill
Fair Evaluation in an Alternative Payment System

  • This bill clarifies/amends Act 902 of 2015- An Act To Limit The Use Of Factors That Are Not Under A Physician's Control In Determining Reimbursement In Alternative Payment Systems.

  • It prohibits a commercial health insurance carrier utilizing a value based system for claims compensation from penalizing a provider for an evaluation metric not under the provider’s control.

  • The bill applies to all health care providers (hospitals, physicians, and other provider types).
Senate Insurance & Commerce Contact List
File Size: 91 kb
File Type: docx
Download File
HB1900.pdf
File Size: 239 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Other bills of interest:
SB480 (Now ACT 734) & SB512 (Now ACT 736) - Additional bills we supported put forth by the Arkansas Hospital Association were signed into law. ACT 734 simplifies contracting and prohibits anti-competitive practices by healthcare insurers. ACT 736 provides for the assignment of benefits to a healthcare provider.

HB639, a bill that would expand Medicaid coverage of physical therapy services in outpatient settings was withdrawn after DHS engaged the association, bill sponsor Rep. Breanne Davis and Senate Public Health Chair Missy Irvin, and agreed to work with us to address the issue post-session through internal DHS rules.