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Governor signs Bailey bill
setting uniform health dispute review fees
A measure requiring the
Department of Health to establish a schedule of maximum fees that may be
charged by certified independent review organizations was signed into
law today by Gov. Christine Gregoire.
Rep. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak
Harbor, who prime-sponsored House Bill 1140, said independent review
organizations help to resolve disputes between health insurance carriers
and their customers. Fees charged to insurance carriers have widely
varied, she said, and in some circumstances are beyond what is
considered fair and reasonable.
"When there is a dispute between plan enrollees and health insurance
carriers, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner assigns an
independent review organization on a rotational basis to help solve the
problem. We’ve found, however, that the fees charged by these
organizations are all over the board. That’s difficult for insurance
carriers and can often be reflected in health insurance premiums," said
Bailey. "This bill will establish some reasonable maximum fees that can
be charged."
Bailey said a more uniform
fee schedule will prevent unreasonable fees and ultimately will result
in lower health insurance premiums.
"Throughout the session, we’ve proposed a number of bills that would
help to lower the cost of health insurance and increase access to
affordable health care. This legislation is another step toward that
goal," concluded Bailey.
The measure gained
unanimous approval by both the House and Senate. It is expected to take
effect in July.
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
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