AN ACT relating to health consumer protection.
     Create a new section of KRS Chapter 367 to define "health benefit plan," "health care provider," "insurer," "managed care plan," and "participating health care provider"; prohibit a health care provider from billing or collecting reimbursement from a patient if the health care provider has entered into a provider agreement and is a participating health care provider under the health benefit plan, except for copayment amounts, coinsurance amounts, deductible amounts, or amounts for uncovered services; provide for violation to be an unfair, false, misleading, or deceptive act in violation of KRS 367.170; provide for additional civil penalty up to $10,000 per violation; provide for language to be placed in statement of coverage notices to insureds and bills to patients indicating that statement of coverage is not a bill and that a patient is not required to pay amounts owed by health insurance companies; provide that a health care provider who causes to be filed a report with a credit reporting agency for nonpayment of any amount by an insured that the health care provider is prohibited from billing shall be liable for attorney's fees and costs associated with correcting the erroneous credit report; provide for correction of billing and refund within 25 days of receipt of written request for erroneously paid amounts; and provide that a waiver obtained by a health care provider of the prohibition against balance billing shall be null and void.

     Feb 26-introduced in House
     Feb 27-to Health and Welfare (H)
     Feb 28-reassigned to Banking and Insurance (H)