SB 601 - Under current law, health care providers are prohibited from charging a fee for treatment and care under workers' compensation laws that is greater than the usual and customary fee the provider receives from private individuals or private health insurance carriers. This act repeals that provision and instead requires the Division of Workers' Compensation to establish a medical fee schedule setting forth the maximum fee that a health-care provider may charge for such treatment and care. All fees established by the schedule shall promote health care cost containment and efficiency, and shall be sufficient to ensure availability of such reasonably necessary treatment, care, and attendance to each injured employee to cure and relieve the employee from the effects of the injury.
The Division is required to increase or decrease the fee schedule based on the change in the Consumer Price Index.
The initial medical fee schedule shall be produced no later than December 1, 2018, and shall take effect on January 1, 2019.
SCOTT SVAGERA