Bill > S659

This bill aims to protect access to important, cost-effective, and necessary medical treatments. It includes the following key provisions: 1. Establishes a process for the Health Policy Commission to recommend non-contracted commercial rates for emergency and non-emergency out-of-network services, which will be in effect for 5-year terms. 2. Requires the Center for Health Information and Analysis to develop a uniform methodology for communicating information on provider tier designations to help patients, purchasers, and employers understand tiered health plans. 3. Prohibits the Group Insurance Commission from imposing separate copayments or facility fees on insured individuals for certain services. 4. Requires pharmacists to notify patients if the pharmacy's retail price for a prescription is lower than the patient's cost-sharing amount, and allows patients to pay the lower price. 5. Restricts when hospitals, health systems, and hospital-based facilities can charge facility fees, and requires them to provide written notice to patients about such fees. 6. Establishes new requirements for hospital and provider financial assistance policies, including free care for low-income patients and limits on patient medical debt. 7. Imposes new network adequacy and transparency requirements on health insurance carriers, including the development of a task force to make recommendations on provider directory accuracy.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S659