Lawmakers OK Bill To Limit Hospitals’ Out-of-Network ED Charges
The California Assembly and Senate have passed a bill (SB 359) that would limit hospital charges for out-of-network emergency department patients, Becker's Hospital Review reports.
The bill has been sent to Gov. Jerry Brown (D) for consideration.
Bill Details
SB 359 seeks to prevent hospitals from profiting by treating patients with out-of-network health insurance.
The bill would affect hospitals with an out-of-network ED utilization rate of 50% or more.
It would limit payments to hospitals for out-of-network patients to 60% of average in-network payments but no less than 150% of Medicare payments.
Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West has urged Brown to sign the bill (Herman, Becker's Hospital Review, 9/6). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.