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Committee approves bill barring insurer payment reductions for durable medical equipment
Summary
Senate Bill 2071, presented by Sen. Blackwell, would prohibit insurers from refusing payment or reducing reimbursement to durable medical equipment providers; the committee approved the one-page measure on a voice vote.
Senate Bill 2071, described by Sen. Blackwell as a one-page measure, was approved by the committee on a voice vote after a short presentation.
Blackwell told the committee he had been approached by the durable medical equipment industry with complaints that some insurers "either do not, will not pay them for services or through the course of providing the service, lower the service." He said the bill "basically say[s] they can't do that," describing the measure as a consumer- and provider-protection step aimed at ensuring insurers pay for durable medical equipment services as contracted.
The presenter said the bill is unusually short — "It's one pager," he said — and did not elaborate on enforcement language or fiscal impacts in the committee presentation. Committee members offered no substantive changes on the record, and the committee approved the bill on a voice vote. The transcript records the chair calling for the vote and announcing "Ayes have it," without a roll-call tally.
The committee did not record any amendments or budgetary analysis during the presentation; staff follow-up or bill text review would be needed to confirm enforcement mechanisms, effective dates and any fiscal notes.
