Government

N.J. panel votes against doctors' "access fees"

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 25, 2004

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Some New Jersey lawmakers are trying to bar physicians from charging patients "access fees" that go above and beyond co-payments, co-insurance and deductibles required by health plans.

The New Jersey Senate Commerce Committee Oct. 4 unanimously passed a bill that would prohibit doctors from asking that patients insured by managed care companies pay "a fee, including, but not limited to, an access fee, in excess of the payment provided by a carrier under a managed care plan."

Bill sponsors said the goal is to prevent doctors from charging patients for e-mail, phone consultations and other services. "While I appreciate that there are many services provided by physicians that are not covered by insurance plans, it is not right for doctors to go beyond the contract they signed with the HMO and pass those costs on to the patient," said New Jersey Sen. Joseph F. Vitale, the bill's co-sponsor.

Raymond E. Cantor, director of governmental affairs for the Medical Society of New Jersey, said the organization opposes the bill. MSNJ executives plan to meet with the measure's sponsors to discuss what physicians are experiencing. For example, managed care companies aren't providing reimbursement rates at a reasonable level, they said.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/10/25/gvbf1025.htm.

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