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House passes bill directing secretary to update workers' compensation medical reimbursement schedule
Summary
The House approved HB117, directing the state secretary (workforce/labor) to adopt a new medical reimbursement schedule for workers' compensation with a quick statutory timeline; the floor debate raised concerns about provider impact, methodology, and committee composition.
BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana House passed House Bill 117, an administrative bill directing the secretary to adopt an updated medical reimbursement schedule for workers' compensation to bring Louisiana closer to regional comparators.
Representative Echols, the bill's sponsor, told lawmakers the fee schedule "hadn't been updated in 31 years" and that updating it would make Louisiana more competitive with neighboring states. Echols said the state's workers' compensation costs were out of line with nearby states and that reforms would help attract businesses and expand provider participation.
Members pressed Echols on specifics: how "similar characteristics of surrounding states" would be defined, whether Medicare would be used as a benchmark, and whether lower-income or injured workers could be harmed. Representative Willard and others asked whether the secretary would use Medicare benchmarks, how the committee membership would be selected, and whether the short statutory timeline and a fiscal note (about $100,000) were realistic. Echols said the secretary had told committee members she believed the timeline was achievable and that the bill provided oversight steps including committee review.
Opponents on the floor cited recent rate reductions and data from the Department of Insurance showing cumulative premium declines over multiple years; Representative Robbie Carter read a press release noting a 9% national loss-cost filing decrease effective May 2024 and a multi-year downward trend. Supporters argued that average premiums in Louisiana remained higher than comparable Southern states and that regulatory and billing changes had left providers underpaid.
The House approved the bill on final passage. The clerk announced 61 yeas and 26 nays. The bill delegates rulemaking authority to the secretary to promulgate a reimbursement schedule, with oversight provisions the bill requires the secretary to follow as she develops proposed regulations.
