Lawmakers Warn Against Fee Dispute Damaging Reforms

Members of a House committee warned hospitals and workers' compensation insurers Tuesday not to let disputes over hospital fees undermine reforms to the workers' compensation system. Workers' Compensation Commissioner Albert Betts told the Business and Industry Committee approximately $116 million in payments to hospitals remain in dispute at the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) or in court. Betts said he hopes to have new inpatient and outpatient fee guidelines in place by October that will be based on Medicare's payment system, as mandated by the Legislature. In the ...