House Health Care & Wellness Committee advances prior-authorization reforms, ambulance billing limits, co-responder and birthing-center measures

The House Health Care & Wellness Committee on Feb. 19 voted to report multiple health bills out of committee with due-pass recommendations, advancing measures addressing prior authorization processes, ambulance billing after motor-vehicle collisions, co-responder definitions and birthing-center inspection rules.

The committee voted to advance a package of prior-authorization reforms (House Bill 15 66, proposed substitute H1472.2) that changes notice, reporting and AI-use requirements for health plans and clarifies which third-party administrators the rules cover. Representative Ruhl, speaking for supporters, called H1472.2 “a big bill with a lot of parts” and said work remains on a few carrier concerns ahead of the floor. Representative Marshall, speaking as a provider, said some members would remain mixed but that the substitute “is better” than the underlying language.

The committee also advanced related prior-authorization technology and timing bills: House Bill 17 06 (proposed substitute H1474.1), which sets the state enforcement date for prior-authorization APIs to Jan. 1, 2027 regardless of future federal CMS rule timing; and provisions in the H1472.2 substitute that change reporting timelines, the scope of information carriers must provide with determinations, and definitions for artificial intelligence and generative AI used in prior-authorization systems.

On ambulance billing, the committee advanced substitute language for House Bill 11 87 (proposed substitute 1462.1) that removes a requirement that ambulance providers attempt to collect insurance information during transport or within 60 days after motor-vehicle-accident transports.…