HB1599--MOHEALTHNETREIMBURSEMENTFORCLINICALPATHOLOGY
SERVICES
SPONSOR: Hruza
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
ProfessionalRegistrationandLicensingbyavoteof20to0.
ThisbillrequiresMOHealthNettopaythefeefortheportionof
clinicalpathologyservicesthatinvolvesthepathologist's
professionalexpertiseininterpretingandsupervisinglaboratory
tests,excludingthetechnicalcomponentofperformingthe
laboratoryteststhatareprovidedbyhospital-basedpathologists
forinpatientservices. Thereimbursementrateissetat30%of
theapprovedoutpatientfeeschedulebasedonMedicare'sclinical
laboratoryfeeschedule. Paymentsaredirectedtoeitherthe
hospitalorthethird-partyprovider,dependingonwhetherthe
pathologistisemployedbythehospital. TheDepartmentofSocial
Servicesisresponsibleforcreatingnecessaryrulesand
regulationsfortheprovisionsofthisbill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthereisacurrentproblemwith
pathologistsbeingpaidforservicestheyprovidetopatientsonMO
HealthNet. Thisbillwouldfixthatproblemandmakesurethe
hospitalsarepayingpathologistswhatisowedtothem.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Hruza;Arnie
Dienoff;BrianOdum,St.LouisPathologyAssociatesInc;Michael
Curry,MD;SamuelKCaughron,MissouriSocietyofPathologists.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.