Bill > SB833

This bill modifies Oklahoma law regarding the admissibility of medical expenses in personal injury lawsuits, establishing new rules for how medical bills and treatment costs can be presented as evidence in court. For existing medical expenses that have been paid, the bill allows only the actual amounts paid to be admitted as evidence, with provisions for showing statements from medical providers accepting those payments as full satisfaction of the bill. For unpaid medical expenses, the bill restricts the admissible amount to the reasonable value necessary to satisfy the financial obligation, limiting evidence to what could be covered by the plaintiff's health insurance or government healthcare programs. For future medical treatment not yet incurred, the bill similarly limits admissible evidence to the amounts necessary to satisfy the financial obligation, using Medicare reimbursement rates if insurance coverage cannot be determined or if the plaintiff lacks health insurance. The bill aims to prevent juries from seeing inflated medical bills and instead focus on the actual costs of medical treatment, with the goal of creating more transparent and fair personal injury litigation. These changes will apply to personal injury lawsuits filed on or after November 1, 2025, providing a clear implementation timeline for courts and legal practitioners.

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http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb833&Session=2600