PRINTER'S NO. 1350
No. 1012 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY C. WILLIAMS, O'PAKE, EARLL, PICCOLA, LOGAN, ORIE,
MUSTO, COSTA, RAFFERTY, LAVALLE, WAUGH, KASUNIC, WASHINGTON
AND RHOADES, NOVEMBER 14, 2005
REFERRED TO BANKING AND INSURANCE, NOVEMBER 14, 2005
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), entitled "An
2 act relating to insurance; amending, revising, and
3 consolidating the law providing for the incorporation of
4 insurance companies, and the regulation, supervision, and
5 protection of home and foreign insurance companies, Lloyds
6 associations, reciprocal and inter-insurance exchanges, and
7 fire insurance rating bureaus, and the regulation and
8 supervision of insurance carried by such companies,
9 associations, and exchanges, including insurance carried by
10 the State Workmen's Insurance Fund; providing penalties; and
11 repealing existing laws," prohibiting discrimination against
12 willing ambulance service providers by health insurers.
13 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14 hereby enacts as follows:
15 Section 1. The act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known
16 as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, is amended by adding a
17 section to read:
18 Section 635.2. Discrimination Against Willing Provider
19 Prohibited.--(a) An insurer shall be required to contract with
20 and to accept as a participating provider any willing provider
21 of ambulance services. An insurer shall not discriminate against
22 a provider of ambulance services who agrees to accept negotiated
1 payment levels and to adhere to quality standards established by
2 the insurer.
3 (b) As used in this section, the following terms shall have
4 the meanings given to them in this subsection:
5 (1) "Ambulance services" means an entity that regularly
6 engages in the business or service of providing emergency
7 medical care and transportation of patients within this
8 Commonwealth. The term includes a mobile advanced life support
9 service that may or may not transport patients.
10 (2) "Insurer" means an entity that is responsible for
11 providing or paying for all or part of the cost of ambulance
12 services covered by an insurance policy, contract or plan. An
13 insurer includes an entity subject to:
14 (i) This act.
15 (ii) The act of December 29, 1972 (P.L.1701, No.364), known
16 as the "Health Maintenance Organization Act."
17 (iii) 40 Pa.C.S. Ch. 61 (relating to hospital plan
18 corporations) or 63 (relating to professional health services
19 plan corporations).
20 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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