Bill > SB1447

This bill, known as the "Patients First Act", aims to prevent discrimination against health care providers in health insurance plans by requiring that all providers be treated equally regardless of their licensure type. The bill mandates that the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance implement federal nondiscrimination protections, ensuring that health benefit plans cannot discriminate against providers when it comes to reimbursement or plan participation, as long as the provider is acting within their licensed scope of practice. Providers must be reimbursed at the same rate for the same service, though plans can still establish varying reimbursement rates based on quality or performance measures. Importantly, the bill explicitly does not apply to physicians licensed under Chapter 334, and it grants the Department of Commerce and Insurance the authority to create rules and regulations for implementing these provisions. The bill includes a clause ensuring that any rules created must comply with existing state administrative procedures, and it specifies that if any part of the rulemaking authority is found unconstitutional, the entire grant of rulemaking authority would be invalidated.

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https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=19782