Business
Fla. OKs assignment of benefits
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted June 6, 2005
In the waning hours of the 2005 Florida legislative session, a bill was passed that included a provision allowing patients to instruct their insurer to reimburse directly any physician participating in emergency care.
David Siegel, MD, vice president of the Florida College of Emergency Physicians, said assignment of benefits had been an issue because if a physician was not a participant in the patient's health plan, then he or she would have to bill the patient, rather the insurer. In many cases, the physician would never get paid.
The Florida Medical Assn., in a statement on its Web site, said it supported the passage of the assignment-of-benefits legislation, and said it hopes a future bill will pass that extends the language to include every physician in any care setting.
Florida becomes the 12th state to pass such legislation. Kansas, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina have assignment-of-benefits legislation under consideration, although their bills do not include care delivered in nonemergency settings.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/06/06/bibf0606.htm.