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House approves bill directing secretary to update workers’ comp fee schedule after lengthy debate over costs and timeline
Summary
House Bill 117, which instructs the state to adopt an updated workers’ compensation medical-fee schedule and reduce administrative burdens on providers, passed the House after extended debate about competitiveness, provider access and implementation deadlines.
BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana House approved House Bill 117 on final passage on May 5 after extensive floor debate over whether updating the state’s workers’ compensation medical reimbursement schedule would raise costs for injured workers, reduce administrative burdens for providers and make Louisiana more competitive for employers.
Representative Echols, the bill’s sponsor, said the legislation is a repeat of a measure considered last year and “would allow the secretary to establish an updated fee schedule for the state and reduce administrative burden by providers.” He and other backers argued Louisiana’s fee schedule had not been updated in decades and left the state uncompetitive with neighboring states; Echols told members Louisiana was “not competitive. We have the fifth highest workman's comp cost in the nation.”
Under the bill, the Department (led by the workforce secretary) would be directed to survey neighboring and regionally similar states and promulgate a schedule intended to align medical reimbursement and related processes with regional comparators. The bill text and committee testimony cited aims such as modernizing codes, reducing paperwork and expanding the pool of medical providers willing to treat injured workers in Louisiana.
Opponents and questioning members raised multiple concerns during the floor debate. They pressed about potential negative effects on injured workers, whether Medicare or other benchmarks would be used as the comparator and whether the bill’s timeline was feasible. Representative Laura Bedaine asked whether the workers’ compensation market in Louisiana was profitable, noting that insurers sometimes rebate premiums; she asked, “And that means that it's profitable in the state of Louisiana. Wouldn't you say that?” The sponsor replied that while rebates exist, overall costs paid by employers are substantially higher than in neighboring states.
The bill included a fiscal note discussed on the floor indicating implementation work could cost roughly $100,000; Echols said the department had told the committee the schedule could be developed within the bill’s timeline and that the cost would be paid from existing program funds. Members also sought assurances of legislative oversight. The sponsor said the bill includes provisions for review and that labor and health committees would provide oversight as the secretary carried out the work.
After debate, the House voted 61 yays and 26 nays to pass the measure. Echols said passage would allow the state to modernize codes and “get Louisiana in line with those states,” while opponents cautioned about unintended impacts on injured workers and the need for a transparent, evidence-based process.
HB 117 will move to the Senate; if enacted, the Department will draft a schedule and administrative rules that will be subject to committee review and potential further statutory action.
