SPONSOR: Hruza
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Professional Registration and Licensing by a vote of 20 to 0.
This bill requires MO HealthNet to pay the fee for the portion of clinical pathology services that involves the pathologist's professional expertise in interpreting and supervising laboratory tests, excluding the technical component of performing the laboratory tests that are provided by hospital-based pathologists for inpatient services. The reimbursement rate is set at 30% of the approved outpatient fee schedule based on Medicare's clinical laboratory fee schedule. Payments are directed to either the hospital or the third-party provider, depending on whether the pathologist is employed by the hospital. The Department of Social Services is responsible for creating necessary rules and regulations for the provisions of this bill.
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that there is a current problem with pathologists being paid for services they provide to patients on MO HealthNet. This bill would fix that problem and make sure the hospitals are paying pathologists what is owed to them.
Testifying in person for the bill were Representative Hruza; Arnie Dienoff; Brian Odum, St. Louis Pathology Associates Inc; Michael Curry, MD; Samuel K Caughron, Missouri Society of Pathologists.
OPPONENTS: There was no opposition voiced to the committee.
Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony and witnesses testifying online can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.
Statutes affected: