2007 House Bill 18 (Force doctors to charge below market rates for certain services)

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Introduced by Rep. Jim Gooch, Jr on January 2, 2007, to prohibit the charging of fees for no fault motor vehicle insurance medical expenses in excess of the limitations of a Kentucky workers' compensation fee schedule. The bill would prohibit a provider of medical services under the no-fault motor vehicle insurance law from knowingly collecting, coercing, or attempting to coerce the payment of any charge for services or treatment covered by a basic reparation obligor in excess of the schedule of fees provided by this section or from causing the credit of any insured to be impaired by reason of the insured's failure or refusal to pay the excess charge.
- Referred to the House Banking and Insurance Committee on January 3, 2007.
- Reported in the House on February 28, 2007, favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar.
- Referred to the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee on March 7, 2007.

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Comments

Introduced by Rep. Jim Gooch, Jr on January 2, 2007. New Comment

1) HB 18 [by Anonymous Citizen on February 14, 2007]
This is a solution for a problem that does not exist. I have been a doctor for 21 years and have never coerced, forced, or "gone after" a patient who's insurance company did not pay their bill for treatment of injuries sustained in a car accident. If the insurance company does not pay, I do not get paid. That problem does not happen but maybe once a year. Furthermore, I know lots of other doctors and none of them have ever pressed a patient to pay a bill under PIP that the insurance company did not pay. The real fact of the matter is that under KY 304 statutes, insurance companies are held very responsible for paying the treating doctor for injuries sustained in automobile accidents. 99% of the time they do a very good job of this and the patient is helped and the doctor is reimbursed fairly. To be completely fair Mr. Gooch should state that he is an insurance man. The real essence of this bill is to allow insurance companies to pay doctors less for the work they are now doing. Several years ago Kentucky adopted a Worker's Compensation Fee Schedule that in essence set a limit on the fees doctors could charge a worker's insurance company. This was done under the guise of helping an ailing Worker's Compensation System. The fact that it was not the solution to the real problem is another discussion. Basically the effect was to decrease doctor's compensation by about 25%. What Mr. Gooch's HB18 will do is reduce the doctor's compensation in PIP cases to these Worker's Compensation levels. Again, we will be paid less for the same work. The question must be asked who will benefit from this? Obviously it will be the insurance companies. They save 25% which is an immediate profit increase thanks to Mr. Gooch. The mythical, immaginary patient who is being hauled off to court to pay the evil doctor's excessive bill will of course not benefit because he does not really exist. This bill is a thinly veiled attempt to decrease the doctor's payment so the insurance company can make more money. Playing on the emotions of the legislature by inventing a problem is simply not fair.
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2) Out of control [by Anonymous Citizen on February 20, 2007]
Dear Doctor,

Please understand that not all doctors bill fairly. While 1 may bill $75 for an office vist another will charge $300 for the same service. Current law contains an assumption of reasonableness for medical bills, effectivly making it the skys the limit for charges. At least with a standard charge, that practice will stop.
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