Employers in California would be required by a recently amended bill to provide services from a licensed clinical social worker when reasonably necessary to cure or relieve a worker of the effects of an injury.
SB 1002 would allow licensed clinical social workers to join networks of medical providers. The bill was amended more than three weeks after the Senate voted 36-0 to send it to the House.
AB 399 was also amended to propose that the fees for independent review of bills be limited to $ 50 for determination of jurisdiction, with additional fees to be assessed if a dispute can be reviewed.
The bill that the assembly voted 69-0 to pass in January would have required employers to give their doctors̵
7; network names and identification numbers to injured workers under certain circumstances. The amended bill proposes the so-called Medical Provider Network Transparency Act of 2022, and it seems to focus exclusively on independent billing issues.Independent bill review fees would start with doctors paying a $ 50 fee for a first look to determine if the dispute is eligible for review. If the dispute is justified, additional fees can be assessed as needed.
If the independent invoice audit shows that a supplier was underpaid, the employer would be obliged to pay the supplier within five days. The measure would also instruct the independent bill review organization to charge the employer directly for the costs of the review.
If the supplier is not entitled to more money, the supplier would be charged for the costs of the audit. Employers and suppliers would be subject to a 10% penalty for failing to pay independent bills within 10 days.
WorkCompCentral is a sister magazine to Business Insurance. More stories here.
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