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Sen. Lisa Reynolds proposes bill to narrow pay gap between independent and hospital-employed primary care clinicians
Summary
Senate Bill 28, introduced by Sen. Lisa Reynolds, would allow independent primary care clinicians to receive the same payer conversion factor used to reimburse hospital-employed primary care clinicians, proponents say. The bill drew policy discussion on ownership, reimbursement mechanics and the potential to help preserve independent practices.
Senate Bill 28, presented at a public hearing April 3 by Sen. Lisa Reynolds (D), would adjust commercial fee-for-service reimbursement so that independent primary care clinicians receive the same conversion factor used by hospital-employed or health-system-employed primary care clinicians for equivalent services.
Senator Lisa Reynolds, a pediatrician, framed the bill as a targeted measure to help sustain independent primary care clinics. She told the committee that reimbursement is calculated by multiplying relative value units (RVUs) by a conversion factor and that hospital-employed clinicians often receive higher conversion factors than independent practitioners for the same visits.
"Hospital-based primary care providers have a much higher conversion rate to pay for their services, even though we're all doing the same thing," Reynolds said. She urged a modest policy to give independent practitioners parity on the conversion factor used by hospital-employed counterparts.
Committee members asked clarifying procedural questions about clinic ownership and scope. Mr. Dietz, committee staff, clarified that SB 28 was a personal bill carried by Senator Reynolds and noted the proposal is limited to the commercial fee-for-service market (not Medicaid/CCO global budget structures). Senator Reynolds told the committee she seeks a narrow, cost-free way for the state to help independent primary care clinicians remain viable and to preserve patient-centered practice choices.
The hearing was advisory; the transcript records testimony and questions but no committee vote on SB 28 during the April 3 session.
