Alabama lawmakers on Tuesday introduced a bill that would permit medical care providers to first bill an injured worker’s health insurer for costs related to care and seek reimbursement from an employer’s workers compensation insurer if a claim is accepted.
H.B. 391, which was sent to the House Insurance Committee, would cover “all medical treatment rendered by a provider to an employee during an emergency, appointment, outpatient visit, in-home visit, or inpatient stay, including surgery, procedures, therapies, and rehabilitative or convalescent care, all of which have the purpose of diagnosing, managing, alleviating, or healing an injury.” The bill includes any related drugs, supplies, or equipment used in the treatment.
Under the bill, providers “may” submit a claim to an employee’s health insurer first. That health insurer and the employee who paid any co-pays or deductible would then seek reimbursement from the workers comp insurer or self-insured employer.