Bill > SB626

This bill aims to ensure fair and transparent reimbursement rates for healthcare providers, specifically targeting ambulatory surgical centers, outpatient psychiatric centers, and outpatient imaging facilities. The legislation responds to a court decision that allowed insurers to reimburse these facilities at lower rates compared to hospital-based departments. Key provisions include requiring insurers to reimburse these facilities at no less than 90% of the rates paid to hospital-based departments for the same or similar services, mandating transparency in reimbursement methodologies, and prohibiting insurers from reducing competition by limiting coverage for non-hospital facilities. The bill also introduces new requirements for insurers to disclose their reimbursement rates, methodologies, and factors used in determining payments, with the Insurance Commissioner empowered to enforce these provisions. Additionally, the bill includes an emergency clause highlighting the urgent need to protect healthcare providers and patient access to cost-effective care, and it applies retroactively to existing reimbursement claims and contracts. The legislation seeks to address what lawmakers view as discriminatory insurance practices that create financial hardships for healthcare providers operating outside of hospital settings.

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https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=sb626&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R