Bill Would Tie Outpatient Charges to Medicare Rates

Yet another bill would require more specificity about the nature of claims, but would also adjust medical reimbursement levels. House Bill 1399, introduced this week by Rep. Cord Byrd, R-Jacksonville Beach, would strike current law that stipulates hospital outpatient care shall be reimbursed at 75% of usual and customary charges. Instead, the bill would set reimbursement for scheduled outpatient surgery in a hospital or ambulatory surgical center at 160% of the fee established by the Medicare outpatient prospective payment system. Ambulatory surgery center fees have long been a source of...