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UPDATE: 6/3/2024 - HB 958 died, it failed to pass the full House on 4/23/2024 and was not reconsidered before the 2024 session ended on 6/3/2024.
UPDATE: 4/23/2024 - HB 958 failed to pass the House 3rd Reading by a vote of 34 Yeas, 62 Nays, 9 Absent, on 4/23/2024.
UPDATE: 4/17/2024 - HB 958 is eligible for a House floor vote as of 4/17/2024. View the engrossed version HERE.
UPDATE: 4/16/2024 - HB 958 was reported favorably in the House Insurance Committee by a vote of 9 Yeas, 8 Nays, on 4/16/2024. View the Committee Report HERE. View the hearing video archive HERE. Timestamp: [3:11:40]
UPDATE: 4/12/2024 - HB 958 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Insurance Committee on Tuesday, 4/16/2024 at 9:00AM in House Committee Room 3. View the Hearing Agenda HERE and the live stream video details HERE. Continue to contact the House Insurance Committee Members until a vote is taken. Sometimes a vote is not taken on the day of the hearing.
Written statements can be filed with the House Insurance Committee via e-mail at [email protected]. View the Guide to House Committee Meetings HERE.
UPDATE: 4/3/2024 - HB 958 was referred to the House Insurance Committee on 4/3/2024.
HB 958 was introduced in the House on 4/2/2024. This bill is sponsored by State Representative Beryl Amedee.
HB 958 prohibits a health coverage plan from paying or offering to pay to any healthcare provider an incentive, bonus, or other amount beyond the contracted reimbursement rate in order to influence, persuade, or encourage the healthcare provider to administer any vaccination. It also prohibits denial or refusal to reimburse any claim for a covered health care service submitted by a provider or to impose any other penalty or to influence, persuade, or encourage the provider to administer any vaccination.
HB 958 creates a new section of law under Insurance Code R.S. 22:1008, related to health and accident policy provisions, provider contracts, and prohibited incentives, to prohibit health insurance incentives or the payment of a financial reward to a healthcare provider for encouraging vaccination, and to prohibit the denial of a claim or other penalties to encourage vaccination.
SECTION 1. Establishes new code to be numbered R.S. 22:1008.1, summarized as follows:
A. Prohibits a health coverage plan from paying or offering to pay to any healthcare provider an incentive, bonus, or other amount beyond the contracted reimbursement rate for a healthcare service with the intent to directly or indirectly encourage the healthcare provider to administer any vaccination.
B. Prohibits a health coverage plan from denying or refusing to reimburse any claim for a healthcare service submitted by a healthcare provider or to impose any other penalty on a healthcare provider with the intent to directly or indirectly encourage the healthcare provider to administer any vaccination.
C. Defines "health coverage plan" to mean any hospital, health, or medical expense insurance policy, hospital or medical service contract, employee welfare benefit plan, contract, or other agreement with a health maintenance organization or a preferred provider organization, health and accident insurance policy, or any other insurance contract of this type in this state, including a group insurance plan, a self-insurance plan, and the Office of Group Benefits programs. It also clarifies that a "health coverage plan" does not include a plan providing coverage for excepted benefits as defined in R.S. 22:1061, limited benefit health insurance plans, and short-term policies that have a term of less than twelve months.
NVIC SUPPORTS HB 958 because it would remove financial incentives from healthcare providers who promote and provide vaccines. Health insurance incentives or penalties based on the vaccination status of a patient can significantly influence whether a healthcare provider recommends a vaccine to a patient. It is possible that a healthcare provider may minimize or neglect to disclose the risks of vaccination in an effort to convince a patient or patient's parent to proceed with a vaccination because that would mean more profits for themselves and their practice regardless of whether the vaccine is in the patient's best interest. Patients and healthcare providers should be able to freely decide what vaccinations they want or need without influence from financial incentives or penalties via coverage reimbursements, bonuses, financial incentives, or penalties. NVIC supports informed consent to vaccination. All vaccines are pharmaceutical products that carry a risk of injury and even death and should not be administered in an environment where the healthcare provider is subject to outside financial pressure. Every individual has the right to informed consent, which includes the right to refuse without coercion, harassment, or penalty. Fully informed consent is unlikely to occur when influence from financial incentives or penalties exists. This bill protects both the patient and the healthcare provider by removing any potential conflicts of interest to enable better-informed vaccination decisions.
https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?i=247202 - text, status, and history of HB 958
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