An Act To Streamline Billing for Mental Health Services
Sec. 1. 24-A MRSA §1912, as amended by PL 2005, c. 97, §1, is further amended to read:
§ 1912. Standardized claim forms
All administrators who administer claims and who provide payment or reimbursement for diagnosis or treatment of a condition or a complaint by a licensed health care practitioner must accept the current standardized claim form for professional services approved by the Federal Government and submitted electronically. All administrators who administer claims and who provide payment or reimbursement for diagnosis or treatment of a condition or a complaint by a licensed hospital must accept the current standardized claim form for professional or facility services, as applicable, approved by the Federal Government and submitted electronically. An administrator may not be required to accept a claim submitted on a form other than the applicable form specified in this section and may not be required to accept a claim that is not submitted electronically, except from a health care practitioner who is exempt pursuant to Title 24, section 2985. All services provided by a health care practitioner in an office setting must be submitted on the standardized federal form used by noninstitutional providers and suppliers. Services in a nonoffice setting may be billed as negotiated between the administrator and health care practitioner. For purposes of this section, "office setting" means a location where the health care practitioner routinely provides health examinations, diagnosis and treatment of illness or injury on an ambulatory basis whether or not the office is physically located within a facility. An administrator may not require the use of revised billing codes under the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by persons submitting claims under this section before January 1, 2014.
Sec. 2. 24-A MRSA §2680, as amended by PL 2003, c. 469, Pt. D, §5 and affected by §9, is further amended to read:
§ 2680. Standardized claim form
Administrators providing payment or reimbursement for diagnosis or treatment of a condition or a complaint by a licensed health care practitioner or licensed hospital shall accept the current standardized claim form for professional or facility services, as applicable, approved by the Federal Government and submitted electronically. An administrator may not be required to accept a claim submitted on a form other than the applicable form specified in this section and may not be required to accept a claim that is not submitted electronically, except from a health care practitioner who is exempt pursuant to Title 24, section 2985. An administrator may not require the use of revised billing codes under the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by persons submitting claims under this section before January 1, 2014.
Sec. 3. 24-A MRSA §2753, as amended by PL 2005, c. 97, §2, is further amended to read:
§ 2753. Standardized claim forms
All insurers providing individual medical expense insurance on an expense-incurred basis providing payment or reimbursement for diagnosis or treatment of a condition or a complaint by a health care practitioner must accept the current standardized claim form for professional services approved by the Federal Government and submitted electronically. All insurers providing individual medical expense insurance on an expense-incurred basis providing payment or reimbursement for diagnosis or treatment of a condition or a complaint by a licensed hospital must accept the current standardized claim form for professional or facility services, as applicable, approved by the Federal Government and submitted electronically. An insurer may not be required to accept a claim submitted on a form other than the applicable form specified in this section and may not be required to accept a claim that is not submitted electronically, except from a health care practitioner who is exempt pursuant to Title 24, section 2985. All services provided by a health care practitioner in an office setting must be submitted on the standardized federal form used by noninstitutional providers and suppliers. Services in a nonoffice setting may be billed as negotiated between the insurer and health care practitioner. For purposes of this section, "office setting" means a location where the health care practitioner routinely provides health examinations, diagnosis and treatment of illness or injury on an ambulatory basis whether or not the office is physically located within a facility. An insurer may not require the use of revised billing codes under the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by persons submitting claims under this section before January 1, 2014.
Sec. 4. 24-A MRSA §2823-B, as amended by PL 2005, c. 97, §3, is further amended to read:
§ 2823-B. Standardized claim forms
All insurers providing group medical expense insurance on an expense-incurred basis providing payment or reimbursement for diagnosis or treatment of a condition or a complaint by a licensed health care practitioner must accept the current standardized claim form for professional services approved by the Federal Government and submitted electronically. All insurers providing group medical expense insurance on an expense-incurred basis providing payment or reimbursement for diagnosis or treatment of a condition or a complaint by a licensed hospital must accept the current standardized claim form for professional or facility services, as applicable, approved by the Federal Government and submitted electronically. An insurer may not be required to accept a claim submitted on a form other than the applicable form specified in this section and may not be required to accept a claim that is not submitted electronically, except from a health care practitioner who is exempt pursuant to Title 24, section 2985. All services provided by a health care practitioner in an office setting must be submitted on the standardized federal form used by noninstitutional providers and suppliers. Services in a nonoffice setting may be billed as negotiated between the insurer and health care practitioner. For purposes of this section, "office setting" means a location where the health care practitioner routinely provides health examinations, diagnosis and treatment of illness or injury on an ambulatory basis whether or not the office is physically located within a facility. An insurer may not require the use of revised billing codes under the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by persons submitting claims under this section before January 1, 2014.
Sec. 5. 24-A MRSA §4235, as amended by PL 2005, c. 97, §4, is further amended to read:
§ 4235. Standardized claim forms
All health maintenance organizations providing payment or reimbursement for diagnosis or treatment of a condition or a complaint by a licensed health care practitioner must accept the current standardized claim form for professional services approved by the Federal Government and submitted electronically. All health maintenance organizations providing payment or reimbursement for diagnosis or treatment of a condition or a complaint by a licensed hospital must accept the current standardized claim form for professional or facility services, as applicable, approved by the Federal Government and submitted electronically. A health maintenance organization may not be required to accept a claim submitted on a form other than the applicable form specified in this section and may not be required to accept a claim that is not submitted electronically, except from a health care practitioner who is exempt pursuant to Title 24, section 2985. All services provided by a health care practitioner in an office setting must be submitted on the standardized federal form used by noninstitutional providers and suppliers. Services in a nonoffice setting may be billed as negotiated between the health maintenance organization and health care practitioner. For purposes of this section, "office setting" means a location where the health care practitioner routinely provides health examinations, diagnosis and treatment of illness or injury on an ambulatory basis whether or not the office is physically located within a facility. A health maintenance organization may not require the use of revised billing codes under the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by persons submitting claims under this section before January 1, 2014.
summary
This bill provides that insurers, health maintenance organizations and other administrators of health insurance claims may not require persons submitting those claims before January 1, 2014 to use revised billing codes under the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders released in May 2013.