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Committee approves bill allowing insurers to pay out‑of‑network providers directly
Summary
House Bill 1298 clarifies that insurers may pay out‑of‑network providers directly rather than routing payment through patients; the committee advanced the measure with bipartisan support.
Senator Missy Irvin introduced House Bill 1298 (filed for Representative Lee Johnson), which clarifies that when an out‑of‑network payment is made, the insurer may remit payment directly to the provider instead of sending payment to the patient for subsequent remittance. Irvin said the change aligns out‑of‑network payments with current practice for in‑network billing and would reduce administrative friction for providers and patients.
Committee members asked whose choice it would be to route payment directly; Irvin said the patient makes that election. Members confirmed insurance industry support and there were no registered opponents. The committee passed the bill by voice vote.
