Indianapolis, IN – The Indiana General Assembly ended a very productive 2013 legislative session early Saturday morning having passed workers compensation reform, legislation permitting the use of electronic devices to show evidence of insurance as well as positive uninsured motorist excess liability provisions, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). The legislature also passed bills calling for studies of no pay/no play and litigation financing.
One of the last major insurance issues addressed this session was workers compensation reform. House Bill 1320, if signed by Governor Mike Pence, would put in place a workers compensation hospital fee schedule at 200 percent of Medicare and establish that the maximum pricing for repackaged drugs cannot be higher than the average wholesale price set by the original manufacturer. In addition, the bill places a cap on the price of implants at the actual cost plus 25%.
“Stronger cost containment is much needed in the state’s workers compensation system and this legislation, while still very generous to hospitals, is an important step in the right direction,” said Ann Weber, vice president, state government relations for PCI. “The Medicare fee schedule should provide stability and predictability to the workers compensation system, and the repackaged drugs pricing parameter will be an effective tool to control costs. This legislation will begin to put Indiana in alignment with most states by adopting a workers compensation hospital reimbursement schedule based on Medicare rates.”
Source: PCI