Bill > H847

This bill mandates that beginning January 1, 2017, insurance companies and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) must process claims for reimbursement electronically, and if they fail to pay or provide a written explanation for nonpayment within 45 days of receiving completed forms, they will be required to pay interest on the benefits owed, accruing at a rate of 1.5% per month, not to exceed 18% annually, unless the claim is under investigation for suspected fraud. The bill also clarifies that "notice of a claim" refers to any notification that reasonably informs the insurer of a claim's existence, and it prohibits certain organizations from requiring home health or hospice agencies to be accredited by national bodies if they are already certified by Medicare.